Book One: Golden Sun
by Master of Reality
Summary: The story of four of the greatest heroes ever known to Weyard, fighting to prevent the release of an ancient power. World's first and only complete noelisation. R&R!
1. Prologue: The Storm

**UPDATE (4/05): This chapter has been edited and reposted. Mostly, the dialogue has been completely changed, with a few other minor changes.**

**A/N:**This is something that I have been wanting to do for a while now. I love the GS game so much, largely due to the really interesting story line. Not seeing any novelisations out there (at least not ones that get updated anymore) I have decided to right this wrong by giving this fantastic game the novel format it deserves. Hopefully you like it.

By the way, I made up the names of Felix's parents (who are mysteriously unamed in the game) and the guy who trys to help you out.

**Disclaimer: **MoR doesn't own Golden Sun... in sinister voice ... yet...cackles evilly in the darkness

**-**

**BOOK ONE: GOLDEN SUN**

_Ages ago, or so the stories_

_tell, the power of Alchemy_

_ruled over the world of_

_Weyard._

_Alchemy wrought the base_

_elements of humanity_

_into thriving civilizations,_

_like lead into gold._

_But in time, man's dreams_

_gave birth to untold strife._

_Dreams of endless riches,_

_of eternal life, of dominion_

_over all that lived... Dreams_

_of conquest and of war._

_These dreams would have_

_torn the world apart if not_

_for a few brave and wise_

_men, who sealed away the_

_power of Alchemy deep in_

_Mt. Aleph's Sol Sanctum._

_Nestled away at the foot of Mount Aleph, the most sacred peak on the continent of Angara rests a quiet village called Vale. For ages, the elders of this remote community have been the caretakers of Sol Sanctum - an ancient temple on the mountain's slope that for eons has guarded the seal on the ancient science of Alchemy. Now, someone is attempting to break that seal. A mysterious figure is attempting to release the powers of Alchemy upon the world, a power so great that one who wields its full force can attain any of his heart's desires - countless riches, endless life, even the power to destroy the world. Once the combined power of the four elements - earth, water, wind, and fire, which together make up all matter - is unleashed, the world will fall to its knees before the one who wields it. If this horrible fate is to be avoided, a brave soul must now arise! _

**PROLOGUE**

**THE STORM**

"Isaac! Isaac, wake up!"

The 14-year-old Isaac groggily opened his eyes struggling out of the deep sleep that he was in. He ran his fingers through his short blond hair and blinked his blue eyes trying to get them into focus again.

"Wha-what?" he groaned. His mother, Dora, was there.

"Please, dear wake up! A terrible storm has started. Come on, we have to go now!" She sounded extremely panicked.

Isaac was lying in his bed, which was in the only upstairs room of his home. The room was dark, but Dora held a lit lamp in her hand.

Isaac quickly got out of bed, and ran to his mother. He didn't need to put on his clothes, as he had carelessly fallen asleep in them. His mother seemed not to care about that just right now though.

"Isaac, wait!" she chided. The power of Psynergy suddenly filled her, a blue glow surrounding her body, and Isaacs's tunic floated over to her on invisible forces. Her power disappeared and she handed it to him.

"There's a storm outside! You'll need a tunic!" she told him.

There she was worrying about what he was wearing when something important was happening, or at least by the sounds of it. He quickly slipped the grey tunic on anyway and pulled up the hood. If there really was a storm going, then he would want to try and stay dry.

He immediately followed after his mother, who was hurrying downstairs to leave the house. He struggled to get his thoughts in order, trying to remember what had happened that day.

It had been a beautiful, peaceful day. He had been out with his three friends. They'd heard that some outsiders had come to visit the village, but their parents had forbidden them to go out and see who they were. And the strangers had left Vale before they could catch a glimpse of them. A calm, peaceful, sunny day. And now his mother mentioned a storm. As he began to wake up again, he became aware of his surroundings.

And it was then he noticed that there was indeed a storm raging outside, with heavy rain and claps of thunder. But today it had been rather calm, hadn't it? It was a nice day without a cloud in the sky and no hint of a storm coming, so why was one raging outside now? And why was the Mount Aleph boulder falling? What had caused that?

They reached the downstairs room and made for the door. As they stepped outside, Isaac came to realise just what it was that was really occurring out there.

A raging storm didn't come close to describing what was occurring.

It seemed like a typhoon had hit. The wind was blowing so hard that the shock of it nearly blew Isaac over. The rain and hail was so heavy that he got soaked through within seconds, and powerful blasts of lighting seemed to strike every few seconds.

_Is a storm this powerful even naturally possible? _He thought to himself, shocked at the unnatural severity.

It was then that Isaac's father, Kyle, came and raced up to them. Kyle had short brown hair and was well built for a man his age, only just less than forty years.

"Isaac, Dora, hurry! The boulder could fall any second now!" He yelled. Dora had to shout back to be heard.

"Kyle, will they be able to stop the boulder?"

"No. They can hold it back for a while, but that's it." He replied shouting, shaking his head disapointedly, "Go to the plaza, it will be safe there." It was natural of him to want them to be safe, while he did what he had to. "I'm staying here, though; I need to help evacuate the others." he shouted over the wind. He wasn't the sort to abandon others when they were in need, never one to shirk away from his rightful duty. A trait his son Isaac had picked up on.

"Let me help you, Kyle!" she shouted back, voice full of concern that he might be injured in the raging storm. "Isaac can get to the plaza on his own!" She turned towards him. "Can't you, dear?"

"Yes, of course! I know where to go!" he shouted back through the rain. He knew his father would never allow him to risk himself, and there was little that he could do anyway, being only fourteen years old, his Psynergy abilities not even beginning to develop yet.

"Good. Get going, then." she reminded him before turning away to follow Kyle up to the mountain that was north of Vale.

Isaac's house was in the northern part of Vale, which resided along the south side of Mount Aleph. A river came from the mountain and travelled south, almost in a straight line, straight through the middle of the village. Isaac's house was just off the eastern shore of the river.

Isaac tried to head south, running through the muddy street and past the fleeing villagers, but found, much to his shock, that a land slide now blocked his way, which had damaged a couple of homes and completely flattened another. A few villagers stood by surveying the damage to their homes and trying to find a way over the rocks and mud, maybe even save their lost possessions. There didn't appear to be a way over, or even around the pile of mud and ruined house.

Isaac knew that he had no choice but to find away around. He knew the way to go. He would have to take one of the bridges across the river, the northernmost one of which he could still access, to the western shore, then head south. Along the way, he would then have to take the southern bridge back to the eastern shore of the river, and then he could reach the relative safety of the plaza. It was the only way to go as far as he could see, although it meant coming closer to Mount Aleph and the Mount Aleph boulder.

Deciding not to waste anymore time, he ran through the chaotic village up to the northern bridge. As he passed his home, he noticed with shock that some of the roof had been damaged and rain was pouring through the holes. He was lucky to have gotten out when he did. His dad would have a hard time repairing it.

As he approached the wooden, roped together bridge, he saw his best friend and childhood buddy, Garet, struggling to pull along a heavy chest. Typical of him, trying to be a hero and save all his possessions instead of just what he needed.

Garet was the same age as Isaac, 14 years old, and had red spiky hair that was now completely soaked and just hanging down his forehead over his eyes. He also was wearing a grey tunic just like Isaac, although he didn't have his hood pulled up like Isaac did, allowing the rain to bombard his face. He had a very rash, headstrong, stubborn personality and he could sometimes be a bit stupid or careless, but at least his heart was in the right place.

"Garet! What are you doing?" Isaac called out to his friend.

"I'm trying to save my stuff!" Garet replied to him, annoyed at being interrupted.

"Garet, just leave that stuff and forget about it! Come on we have to escape!" Isaac replied anxiously, "If we hang around, we'll get flattened by the boulder! You'll never get out of here trying to drag that thing behind you! The rest of your family is probably already at the Plaza waiting for you!"

Isaac grabbed Garet's arm and started to drag him away. "Yeah, you're right." Garet admitted, "Let's get out of here!"

Leaving the heavy chest of personal possessions where it was, the two friends ran for the bridge, which wasn't far. It was a little difficult to get across, as the wind rocked it side to side and the wood was slippery from the rain. But they reached the other side without slipping off.

Just after they crossed it, they saw four of the village elders off to their right standing at the foot of the mountain filled with Psynergy, trying to prevent a giant boulder from rolling down the mountain and destroying the village.

The Mount Aleph boulder. A huge boulder, big enough to destroy a good portion of the village if it fell, being held back by huge amounts of Psynergy, the flows of glowing energy the only thing holding back the boulders impending doom. But even all their combined might could not entirely hold it back and they were struggling, the boulder edging closer slowly.

The two of them didn't waste any more time looking and got going without a word, following the edge of the river. If you could really call it a river anymore. The river was a raging torrent full rushing water and overflowing its banks due to the insane amount of extra rain. They made sure to not stray to close to the raging torrent of water, just in case one of them slipped and fell in. They would surely drown if that did happen.

They continued running through the village dodging fleeing villagers as they went. Vale was in complete and utter chaos. People were running everywhere trying to save their lives and possessions as they struggled for the plaza. The two of them struggled not to slip up in the mud. Occasionally they would pass someone who was injured, but they always already had someone there helping.

Isaac continued his way through Vale, running through the thick mud and rain, occasional bright bursts of lightning the only thing illuminating their pathway, thunder echoing in their ears, blocking out all other sound.

They continued to run down along the side of the river, unable to see far due to the dark and the rain, until they came up to the river dock, which was also the home of their other two best friends, Jenna and Felix.

As they approached, they could see dimly through the shadows and rain the shapes of figures standing out on the pier.

"Felix!" They heard the voice of a familiar girl shout.

The voice was that of Jenna, one of their best friends in the group that included Isaac, Garet, Jenna and her older brother Felix.

They saw the thirteen year old Jenna, her red hair tied back in a ponytail like always and wearing a thick red dress and a purple cloak, all of which was soaked through by the rain, standing on the pier staring further down the river. Also on the pier were Jenna's parents, a woman with red hair like her daughters but tied up in a bun and a man with short brown hair and a brown moustache.

Also there was Kyle, Isaac's father and Dora, Isaac's mother. Dora was comforting Jenna as she watched what was happening, and Kyle was trying to throw out a rope for someone, while Jenna's parents stood by and watched on the edge with a look of absolute desperation on their faces.

Isaac saw why in the next immediate flash of lightning. Felix, Jenna's brown haired older brother was stuck out in the middle of the raging river. He was also one of Isaac's best friends that he had grown up with. He had short brown hair like his father, whom he took after quite a lot.

He struggled to hold to a rock that was sticking up from river. It was a miracle he could even hold onto that in this torrential downpour. Felix was hanging on for dear life. If he lost his grip, he would almost certainly drown in the raging torrent. Kyle was trying to throw the rope out to him, but it didn't reach and the pier was the closest place he could get to Felix, without actually diving into the river and probably drowning.

"Hang on, Felix" Kyle yelled out as another bolt of lightning flashed in the sky and thunder almost drowned out his words. Dora was trying to comfort a distraught Jenna. But she could not be calmed.

"Felix!" She cried out over the howling wind and thunder. Dora held her tight, trying to calm the fiery young girl. Isaac and Garet came closer and overheard what his father was saying to Jenna's dad.

"The rope isn't long enough to reach." Kyle admitted dejectedly to Jenna's father, Garcia, as he threw the rope once more to Felix, again failing to reach. "We'll have to use Psynergy."

"I'm drained right now," Garcia replied shaking his head miserably at being unable to save his son, "Couldn't channel a spark. What about you, Kyle?"

"The same." Kyle shook his head regrettably.

"We have to get help." Dora spoke up, turning from Jenna.

"Then go, quickly! We'll look after Felix!" Kyle told her, turning back to look at Felix.

"I'll go get help, too!" Jenna called out, eager to save her brother. Despite any arguments they may have had with one another, Jenna wouldn't have been able to cope with the loss of her older sibling.

Dora and Jenna immediately left the pier, but stopped for a moment when Dora halted.

Dora said to Jenna loudly "Okay, Jenna, I'll look up north… you head for the plaza down south, all right?"

"All right. I'll find someone who can help Felix!" Jenna replied strongly, determined to succeed.

Dora nodded wordlessly before turning and running up north through the thick mud and rain along the west bank of the river. She was running against the strong winds and looking desperately for someone who might have been able to help.

She saw Isaac and Garet, but simply told them to hurry up and get to the plaza so that the Elders could protect them, then continued north.

"Garet, let's see if we can help Jenna out!" Isaac suggested to his friend. He didn't want to see either of his friends hurt.

"Yeah, great idea!" Garet agreed, and the two of them ran as fast as they could to the south bridge across the river. Isaac would do everything that he could to help a friend in need, besides, Jenna might need help, or protection in case she got hurt. Isaac cared for her too much to let that happen.

They needed to cross the southern bridge to get to the plaza and it seemed that Jenna had already beaten them over it. They couldn't see her over the over side, as the landscape and thatched housing rose up, blocking their view of that part of the village.

As they ran across the bridge, Isaac looked back up the river, and got a good view of Felix struggling in the river, his parents standing helplessly by and Kyle still desperately trying to get the rope to reach him. He was _NOT_ going to let him drown!

They struggled across the bridge, which was even more dangerous than the first, as the strong winds buffeted it back and forth even worse now, and the rain made the wooden planks slippery. Despite the shivering cold of the blistering wind, and the heavy rain, Isaac and Garet pressed on, refusing to fail in their duty.

As soon as they crossed the bridge, they ran past a small cliff that Isaac could remember often trying to climb with his friends. At the top, it supposedly led to a forbidden part of Mount Aleph that they had all wanted to see. But Isaac ignored it for now, and they continued to run through the village and fleeing villagers towards the plaza.

As they reached the plaza, they saw that a lot of people had already taken refuge in there. There was a massive throng of people standing out in the shivering cold and rain, some of them still desperately calling out for loved ones. Many families were huddling together for warmth. Another flash of lightning lit up the area and Isaac caught sight of Jenna making her way through the middle.

Struggling through a crowd of panicky people, Isaac and Garet tried to reach Jenna who had stopped to talk with the town mayor. The town mayor was also Garet's grandfather, an old man with tufts of grey hair and a grey moustache who used a walking stick to get around. The way he stood betrayed his appearance, as he stood tall and proud ignoring the cold rain and howling wind.

They were standing near the Psynergy Stone. The Psynergy Stone was a large purple crystal like structure that looked like it had been carved by the finest craftsmen in the land, yet that was the way it had formed naturally, inside Mount Aleph. It stood upright in a small little island, just large enough for it and one person surrounded by a small pool of water barely a metre wide. The stream of water was small enough for a person to just hop over it. The Psynergy Stone had the power to slowly refill a person with Psynergy if they touched it.

"Hey, Grandpa! Jenna!" Garet called out over the wind towards them. Jenna turned suddenly from the Mayor and looked to them, brushing back her thick, wet red hair as the wind blew it in her face.

"Isaac and Garet! I'm so glad you two made it here safely!" she smiled in relief.

"Jenna, I want to help you rescue Felix!" Isaac shouted out over another roll of thunder.

"You want to help me?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"That's what we said!" Garet grinned, "We aren't going to let Felix drown!"

Isaac slicked his blonde hair back with his hand to prevent it dripping water in his eyes.

The mayor nodded to them with approval.

"Good boys, Jenna could use a hand." he replied in his deep, wizened old voice.

"Great, I'm all charged up!" Another voice suddenly said. It was then that Isaac realised that one of the villagers, a tough guy with reasonable Psynergy skills called Sab, was charging up by the Psynergy Stone. He jumped of the island towards them. Sab had a muscular body with short black hair and was cleanly shaven. He was wearing a red woollen tunic and basic leather breeches.

"How are you? Have you recovered your Psynergy?" The mayor asked him, his words, filled with concern and anxiety, nearly drowned out by a sudden, loud clap of thunder.

"Enough to save Felix, thanks to the Psynergy Stone." Sab replied nodding, looking to Jenna. Jenna looked extremely relieved. She cared a great deal for her brother.

"Ok Jenna, you heard him, now hurry back!" The mayor ordered before turning around to sort out some other villager's problems.

"Lead the way!" Sab called out.

"No problem!" Garet replied loudly, turning back towards the river.

Isaac just nodded without a word, stealing a look into Jenna's beautiful brown eyes.

"…Thank you Isaac." Jenna said softly to him so that only he could hear, eyes almost brimming with tears, both due to the unexpected help of Isaac, and because of the desperate situation. Isaac knew that she cared a lot about her brother and was very grateful that he'd sacrifice his safety to help her. But now wasn't the time to get mushy.

They ran back without a word through the village, dodging fleeing villagers as they ran, through thick mud and rain, ignoring the wind that blew against them and the freezing cold that wrapped itself against their bodies.

Thunder and lightning boomed overhead and the sounds of people screaming and running throughout the village, amid all the chaos and turmoil filled the air. They ran past the cliff with Isaac's childhood memories, and back across the slippery wooden bridge. Isaac tried to look for Felix in the river, but it was to dark to catch sight of anything now. Even the rain blocked their view. As they left the bridge, the immediately raced back up north along the river and back up towards the dock. They somehow managed to arrive at the same time that Dora did.

"Mum, Dad! We're back!" Jenna called out loudly over the furious wind towards her parents on the pier.

"Is that you Jenna?" Dora asked out loudly, hearing her speak. It was getting harder to see in the heavy rain and dark night, but Dora still recognized the voice of Jenna.

"Yes Ma'am." Jenna replied to her loud enough to hear over the thunder the rolled overhead. They all stood next each other now, just a few feet down from the pier.

"I couldn't find anyone." She said regrettably, with a shake of her head.

It was then that she noticed Sab, who came up from behind the others and smiled broadly.

"Don't worry Ma'am; I'll take care of the little fella." He said to her loudly and reassuringly.

"There's still time!" Dora said, looking towards Felix clinging to the rock, obviously releived.

Jenna spoke up cheerfully, "Then my brother will be alright!"

She looked out over to the raging river, seeing now that Felix was indeed still trapped in torrent of water.

"Now hurry up and save him!" Dora said to Sab.

Sab nodded and immediately began moving towards the river, his body glowing with Psynergy, as he prepared to help Felix. But he was only just too late.

All of a sudden, a loud crash was heard, louder even than the thunder that had boomed through the night. Isaac turned to look, just in time to see the Elders of Vale as he heard them screaming, running out of the way of something big.

The Mount Aleph boulder, bigger than a house, came crashing down through the village knocking down more homes and came roaring down the waterfall, came down the river towards…

Isaac's father and Jenna's parents were on the pier and had only a second to see the boulder come down…

Jenna screamed as she saw what about to happen and shut her eyes…

Sab threw what he had in Psynergy at it but it was useless…

After a deafening crash, Isaac opened his eyes and all was suddenly eerily still and silent. It couldn't be… his eyes betrayed him. The dock where his father and Jenna's parents had been was completely gone, flattened to nothing. The rock where Felix had been hanging onto and Felix… were no longer there. Apart from the howling wind, continual rain and the odd roll of thunder, it seemed strangely still and silent. Even the villagers could no longer be heard. His own breathing seemed to have been silenced.

Isaac was lost for words. They couldn't be dead. They couldn't be! His dad was such a strong man! Felix was one of his best friends!

"Kyle… no, it must all be a dream…" Dora murmured to herself staring at the spot where her husband used to be. She didn't move or blink, not even aware of Isaac's presence to try and comfort him.

"Mum, Dad… Felix… no, please… don't leave me like this…" Jenna said resting her head in her hands, and began crying to herself. She must have been devastated. Isaac would have gone to comfort her, but he was still in shock.

Garet just stared blankly, unable to get his head around what had just happened. He didn't really know what to do in a situation like this. He just sat their miserably in the mud, not saying a word, unheeding of the rain that poured down on him.

Sab stood there, a look of complete shock and utter disbelief on his face, unable to accept that he had failed, that they were gone.

They all sat there silently in the mud for a few moments, ignoring the thunder, lightning and wind and not caring about the rain that soaked them. There was a grim, solemn silence, as they sat there, no one wanting say anything, for while. Even in the distance, no more villagers could be heard over the deadly storm. Isaac didn't realize that he had been holding his breath until he let it out to take another.

But Isaac was not willing to accept that this was over. He couldn't! Tears welled in his eyes, pain burned silently in his heart as the pain of loss grew. His father, he just couldn't be! His friend! Jenna's parents! Who would look after her now? A tight lump formed in his throat, making it difficult for him to swallow.

They weren't dead, yet! There was still hope; he couldn't just leave it at this! He struggled to stand up, his reluctant legs barely able to hold his weight, wobbling under the pressure.

"No, I have to get more help, I can still help them!" He yelled out over the wind, not caring who heard, just wanting to reassure himself that there was still hope. He would not accept this! He became desperate. He ran away from the group, ignoring their shocked looks, and ran through the mud, slipping every so often, desperate to find someone out there who could help. He ran across the bridge frantically looking for someone, anyone who could help them. The wooden boards slipped and the wind tried to knock him off, but he didn't care or even notice. Someone out there had to help him! He ignored the fact that he was frozen numb, just continued desperately running and searching.

But as he ran he found no one. The village was deserted. All the villagers had run away. They were gone. And he was alone. The empty bitterness of his pain consumed him, he would not relent! Somebody had to help!

As he ran, Garet looked to him for a while dumbly. Then suddenly, he came to and made a decision.

"Isaac…I can't let you go alone. Its times like these that we have to stick together!" He voiced aloud proudly and, with grim determination, he ran after Isaac. If he still believed that there was hope, then the gods help him, he was going to help look for it! They were _NOT _going to abandon those that they cared about like this!

Isaac stumbled along through the deserted village. Where was everyone? Why wouldn't they help him? He tried to speak, but found that his throat was too tight, his mouth opening and closing dumbly. He felt so alone, his father, the role model of his life. The pain of loss, emptiness and loneliness burned inside his hollow heart. Unaware of the cold and flashes of lightning, he staggered on through the mud and rain, exhaustion setting into his weary bones.

He suddenly realized how very tired he was then. The wind and rain had frozen his body completely numb; his legs had been carrying his running body all over Vale. He was covered in mud. Now the exhaustion had caught up with him.

It was too much for him to bear. Felix would have continued, displaying the same stubborn determination of his father. But Felix was dead now. And his parents.

His father would have said something reassuring now, told him to keep going. But his father was gone now. Dead.

It was hopeless.

He had failed.

Finally he dropped to his knees in the mud by the cliff and gave up all hope of ever saving them. There was nothing, no-one that could help him now. What was the use in even trying? He swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to accept the grim reality of what had really happened. A tight pain burned inside and he tried to hold back the tears, but they still burned down his face. He tried to understand what had just happened…

"Only the two of us survived." a man's deep, powerful, yet somewhat weary and exhausted voice suddenly said. Isaac was jolted alert all of a sudden. It sounded strange; he'd never heard this voice before. He continued sobbing, but quietly now, as he listened intently for the speaker of the voice.

"I can't believe that Sol Sanctum unleashed such fury." another unfamiliar voice said, this time a women. She sounded strong and determined, but her tone indicated weariness, shock and disbelief.

Isaac looked up to the top of the small cliff, about the height of three full-grown men.

There were two strange looking, unfamiliar people up there above him. Isaac's first initial reaction was that these two things were both monsters, evil creatures. They didn't look like normal humans. As he looked, he realized that they were so human like in shape, stature and voice that they might very well be people, but he couldn't quite tell.

"We should be grateful even the two of us made it out alive…" the man breathed, sounding shocked and heaving for air. He was a powerfully built looking man, wearing a dark blue breastplate with light blue markings. The rest of his clothing was very similar. He had a dark blue cape on and his long hair was a silvery blue and his skin seemed like a sort of scaly blue. But now he was covered in mud, looking exceptionally weary.

Isaac didn't at all like the look of him. What was this stranger doing in Vale?

"What about the others!" the woman shouted, "They're dead!"

"There's nothing we can or could have done for them." the man sighed in defeat, not looking at her angry face. "How did they manage to do _this_?"

"That switch… we can only assume that it triggered some sort of trap…" the woman said, still gasping for breath. She had a white dress with blood red markings on it. She had a red cloak on and the rest of her clothing was also red. Her hair was long and blonde, curling up at the ends. Her face was a pale colour, with red markings on it, and it seemed scaly to, like the man's.

She, too, was muddy, showing clear signs of exhaustion. Were they humans, or monsters of some sort?

"But how could it summon a storm as powerful as this!" The man asked, shaking his head and looking to the stormy sky impressed. He sounded very tired, like he had just been through a tough battle, or run really far.

"This is just a small demonstration of the full power of Alchemy." She replied. She looked just as worn out as her partner, and sounded equally shocked and exhausted.

"All of them, dead… even these villagers would have suffered as well. We must not fail the next time we challenge Sol Sanctum." he said back to her in a determined voice.

She replied, tiredly, but determinedly, "Next time we absolutely must…" Suddenly she was cut of in mid-sentence.

"Isaac! Wait!" Garet bellowed out, chasing after Isaac.

Garet ran down the muddy path to where Isaac was sitting on his knees, staring up at the two strangers. He stopped next to him and looked at his worn, distraught friend. Then he noticed that Isaac was staring up, and Garet looked to the two strangers atop the cliff. They had both stopped talking with one another and now glared menacingly down at the two boys.

"You were listening in on us just now… weren't you?" the man demanded looking down at them both. He no longer sounded tired, just aggressive and angry, as though the two of them had deliberately intruded on their conversation.

"Y-Yes" Isaac stammered fearfully, not wanting to arouse his anger. He looked, and sounded, incredibly dangerous. Isaac didn't trust _anyone_ who looked like that!

The man and the woman looked to each other for a moment.

"Isaac…" Garet stammered to his friend "Isaac, they look dangerous… I think we should get out of here."

For Garet to admit that he was scared, and wanted to get away, demonstrated just how much they intimidated him. But Isaac couldn't blame him. They were truly terrifying and he could sense some sort of… incredible power within them. He didn't know how to describe it.

The pain of his father's death seemed to be forgotten at the sight of these two.

Suddenly the two of them jumped down and landed right in front of them. It was then that Isaac noticed their eyes, not at all like normal eyes, were a fiery red with no whites. They no longer looked weary, but strong and domineering, forging fear into the hearts of the two boys. They stood up straight and looked down at the two kneeling boys who were nowhere near their height.

"Forget everything you heard." The women demanded of them loudly.

"I… Okay…" Isaac replied slowly, uncertainly. The man looked to his partner for a moment. "We can't take the risk. The Elders of this village suspect us enough as it is." She nodded in agreement.

Suddenly the two of them were filled with more Psynergy than Isaac had ever seen any one wield before. Either one of them held much more power than even the Great Elder.

Then that power surged forward.

Everything flashed blinding white. Isaac and Garet were knocked to the ground by their power, scorched by a fiery searing pain.

Then everything went black and they slipped out of consciousness.

The two mystery people walked off towards the river. Isaac and Garet lay there behind them, lying unconscious in the mud and pools of their own blood. Up above the storm began to worsen. Lightning flashed brighter and thunder roared louder, the wind picked up and the rain turned to hail.

_That night Isaac's father, Kyle, and Jenna's entire family, her mother Jasmine, father Garcia and older brother Felix, were killed and their bodies never found. Many others were injured and many homes were destroyed. _

_When Isaac and Garet woke up, they didn't remember anything of what happened with the mystery duo._

**A/N: **Like it, loathe it? Could be better, couldn't be better? Please, tell me what you thought, give a review!

Honest criticism welcome, flames ignored. Any questions will be answered. If you can think of anything at all that needs improvement, please tell me. I'm a bit of a self-perfectionist for my writing. Now, go! Review!


	2. The Beginning

**A/N: **Wow, I didn't expect this many reviews. I'm happy! Anyhoo, review replies, in order of appearance.

**Stormhammer: **Thank you for your input. I'm glad I was able to hold your attention like that, that's what I was hoping to do! Yes, I do plan to change game dialougue (and kick the hell out of it!), but I'll be talking more about that later (seeing as almost every reviewer made this comment)

**Van Skylion: **I'm glad you liked it so much! One of the most well-written fics, period? Wow, thank you! I'm honoured you liked that much. Funny, you're the only person who liked the perfect game dialougue. But, it won't stay perfect like that, sorry!

**Meneil: **Sorry! I didn't realize you had one too! Please, accept my apologies! It's wierd, the minute I decide to do a novelization, and i don't see any, some pop up just as I publish! There's another out there now, as well!

**Feonyx: **You'll notice I changed the summary not long after publishing. Now, I changed it again. I'll probably do so again, because I'm still not sure that I'm happy with it. I didn't mean to sound arrogant. I was just overcome with the euphoric feeling of "Yay-finally-publishing-my-work-I'm-so-happy!". Also, forgive my terming of pairngs. What I meant to say (and so right royally screwed up in doing) is that I'm doing pairings that seem to have at least some vague game support, although I admit that that would be a debatable subject.

I'm planning to change to dialougue later on, and it won't follow 'perfectly' the game. I am allowing myself some freedom. Throw in a bit more history about the land. More character detail than we see. Interesting stuff that still works out in the game logic.

Funny you should mention that novelizations are great for practice, because that's precisely the reason I wanted to do this first. To get practice for when I want to do better, original projects. I do have original ideas, but they can wait util I'm sure I'm ready to do them. Also, as I said, I just like the game enough to want to do this. Besides, I'm hoping to write it well enough that someone who has never played the game can read and enjoy the sotry just as much as any GS gamer.

**Favri the Fisher: **Yeah, I've read a few other attempts. I like it to. Yes, dialougue will change. I'll try harder to look out for those stupid spelling mistakes. (you read through so many times, yet you still miss some!)

**Nickkang:  **Glad you liked it! Sorry, no mudshipping.

Ah, my first reviewer. Awesome? Thank you! Hopefully you'll like the rest I put in.

**Disclaimer: **For those curious or confused, alas, no, I don't own Golden Sun. So don't write to me asking for the rights. :(

Okay then, on with the show. This chapter actually only occupies a small portion of the game. I spent a lot of time giving character development here, for the simple sake of the fact that this is the first 'real' chapter (Non prolougue). The start of the whole story probably might seem to be going slow, but it will speed up to a nice pace later.

Okay then, as for the game dialougue that most of you referred to. No, it won't be word for word anymore. I did that there mainly because it was easier, and I felt it was good enough for what I wanted at the time. From now on, I'm writing roughly my own, using the games as a guide. Besides, apart from jsut giving Isaac stuff to say, I feel it would need to be changed anyway, just to make it better. I'll probably throw in a lot more info later on in the usual talk just to make it more in-depth and interesting. Hopefully, this pleases my readers.

Yeah, I know this chapter seems very similar still (in some places if not most) but it was changed enough as suited my needs. Anyway, here is you chapter, becuase I know you aren't here to listen to me!

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**CHAPTER ONE**

**THE BEGINNING**

_Three years later..._

It was three years to the day since that terrible storm had erupted over Vale. The people of Vale tried to forget the tragedy and worked hard to repair the village. Although the Elders assured the people that a storm of that magnitude would never happen again, some were still a little nervous, especially on the anniversary of that day.

But today it was peaceful and sunny and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The village of Vale had almost completely recovered from the damage inflicted by the storm. Friendly villagers strolled calmly through the village, enjoying the blissful day as they went about their day-to-day routines.

Jenna, now sixteen years old, strolled calmly through the village stopping occasionally to greet someone she knew. She had her red hair tied back in a ponytail like always and was wearing her favourite red dress. She was eating a quick breakfast of toasted bread that she had cooked with her own Psynergy abilities, now that she had learned the some of her skills.

Since the accident three years ago she had lived with her grandparents who kindly opened their home to her, now that she was their only remaining living relative. It had taken her ages to get over the pain of losing her family, but she had eventually been able to put it all behind her and focus herself on her studies in Psynergy to become an Adept, just like Isaac and Garet did. But this training in Psynergy to learn how to become an Adept was more really a way of putting the pain of her past behind her, to make a new, fresh start, and fill with meaning the emptiness that she always felt in her heart nowadays.

She and her two friends worked hard to understand the ancient teachings relating to Alchemy that the foreign scholar Kraden often taught her about. The fiery red-head was a strong minded woman who had a reputation for having a bit of a temper, and wasn't afraid to impart her opinions on others, no matter the circumstances.

Isaac and Garet were her best friends in Vale; they had grown up together as children as well as with Felix, until he died, as there weren't too many other kids their age to hang out with, so now it was just the three of them. Everyone in Vale always learned to harness their abilities in Psynergy to the fullest, for everyone in that village was an Adept, an Adept being someone who could wield Psynergy, to some degree. This was completely unlike everyone else in the world of Weyard, where Adepts were non-existent, and very few knew about the power of Psynergy.

But the trio of Isaac, Garet and Jenna were different to everyone else. Although everyone in Vale could wield Psynergy, most could only hold a small amount and do only small, everyday things with it, except of course for the Elders. But even they claimed that the power of Psynergy had greatly diminished since The Lost Age of man, before Alchemy was sealed away. They said that Adepts were becoming less numerous and less powerful and only in Vale were they common now. But even though everyone in Vale could only wield small amounts of Psynergy some degree, Isaac, Garet and Jenna showed incredible potential.

According to the Elders they could even potentially be as powerful as an Adept from The Lost Age! They could possibly become great and mighty warriors once they fully learned to use their power. However, even though they had studied hard over the last three years to use their Psynergy, they had only just become able to understand how to use and wield it, and they were just beginning to learn their abilities.

There were four kinds of Adepts, corresponding with the four elements of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water.

Venus Adepts, or Earth adepts, had the power to control and manipulate the earth.

Then there were Mars Adepts, or Fire Adepts as they were more commonly known, had the power to create and manipulate fire. They were always the fiercest warriors.

There were also Jupiter Adepts, or Wind Adepts as the common name. They could control the wind; create tornadoes and such similar things.

Finally there were Mercury Adepts, or just Water Adepts. They could control the water and even turn it into ice. They also tended to be the best healers as well.

Jenna was a Fire Adept, just like her mother, although her mother had only had mild abilities, such as lighting candles and warming water.

But none of them really wanted to become warriors anyway. No one in Vale ever needed to fight. Sure there were the occasional arguments, even maybe the odd fistfight, but no one ever used their Psynergy as a weapon. It was just an abhorrent idea. They were always taught by the Elders to never do so. And most villagers knew no ways of using Psynergy as a weapon anyway.

Jenna passed by Isaac's house. Isaac was standing on the roof, fixing it up. He was an Earth Adept, just like his father had been, and had short, messy blonde hair and blue eyes, the same as his mother. His mother, Dora came out of the house to see how he was going.

"Isaac! Have you finished mending the roof yet?" She called out, from below him by the front door.

"No, but I'm almost done." He called back.

"You're almost done? Ok, keep at it!" She replied and went back inside to finish whatever business she had.

Isaac's body was glowing with Psynergy as he made the tools he needed float towards him. Ever since he learned to do that, he'd been doing it all the time to make his job easier, but it was also good for practice. The three of them always used their abilities to do as much as they possibly could, including their chores.

_He'll be finished soon _She thought to herself _I'll go get Garet while he finishes things up here_. She walked on to Garet's house, just someway behind Isaacs. As she approached his home, she found him in the garden training.   
He focused on a large rock in front of him and raised his hand. To the ordinary eye it would have appeared to move by itself, but Jenna could see the flows of Psynergy wrapped around it, pushing it along the ground and onto some flowers. She had only recently learned to see and sense the power Psynergy. She looked again to the flowers in the garden. They belonged to Garet's older sister, Kay. He was really going to get it from her when she found out. His entire family was renowned for its quick tempers, much like Jenna was.

Garet was seventeen years old now and he was a lot bigger and taller. He was a Fire Adept as well, just like everyone in his family was. His body was very muscly for someone his age as he worked out a lot and over the past couple of years had helped out a lot with rebuilding the village, doing a lot of heavy lifting. His red hair was perfectly spiked as always. How he actually did that, she didn't quite know.

"You sure do put a lot of effort into training all the time, Garet!" She laughed as she approached. "It's only morning and you're already practicing to move stuff."

"Oh, I'm just finishing up." He replied calmly, wiping some sweat of his forehead, as he noticed his new spectator, "It was just a quick little practice."

"That's good, because it's time to leave." She reminded him, "Kraden will be waiting for us. Isaac's just finishing up with fixing his roof."

Today they were meant to go visit Kraden and pay a visit to Mount Aleph to do some hiking, and learn some more lessons about whatever the old man had in store for them.

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten." he smiled, "I was just waiting for you to arrive"

Garet laughed and picked up his things. As he did so, he paused for a moment, and stood staring out at the river.

He was probably just remembering that night three years ago, she assumed. None of them found it easy to get over, least of all her and Isaac. She didn't want to see again what he gazed at, she had seen it often enough. Her old home, by the river, and the ruined pier where she had lost her family.

Although now that she thought about it, there was something about that night that she wanted to ask him about, but never really had a chance to.

"Say, what exactly happened to you two?" She asked quickly, interrupting his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Garet asked back, a little shocked, not realising what she was referring to.

"The accident three years ago... Is that why you've been studying Psynergy so hard?"

"Well, no... I just want to become a powerful Adept." He shrugged, "Besides, if something like that ever does happen again... well, I want to make sure we don't ever fail anyone again, like we did."

"I appreciate your concern, Garet, but... my families never coming back and neither is Isaacs's father..." she shook her head ruefully "I just want to forget that day. I wish everyone would." She muttered sadly. "It was three years ago now. Don't keep blaming yourself; there was nothing you could do."

"That terrible night..." Garet recalled solemnly "I remember most what happened. We went to get help, but they found us unconscious. Even after they had drowned and we couldn't do anything, me and Isaac tried to go and get some help, but we were knocked out."

They had tried to get some more help, after her entire family and Isaac's father were hit by that boulder, forced into the river where they drowned, their bodies never to be found.

He and Isaac claimed that they couldn't remember what had happened after that. Their memories were blank and some of the Elders guessed that they had been hit on the head by falling rocks or something similar.

Jenna realized that the conversation was getting gloomy so she changed the subject. "Never mind about that." She said, trying to brighten the mood a little, "Let's go get Isaac and go to Kraden's. I'm sure he has another invigorating lesson for us!" Garet chuckled at her sarcasm. The Alchemy Sage could be a little bit boring sometimes.

"Yeah, I'm sure old Kraden doesn't want to be kept waiting." He replied, smiling once more, "Let's go get Isaac, then."

Isaac stood on the roof of his house and brushed his unruly blonde hair out of his eyes with his hand. He'd inherited his naturally messy hair from his father, bless his soul, and now he just left it where it was in the mornings, not bothering to brush it anymore. It was just too much effort to even make it look even half representable.

He was wearing his usual blue tunic and breeches, as he repaired the roof of his house. Focusing his mind, Psynergy flowed through his body and he levitated a piece of thatching onto a hole in the roof. Still focusing, he placed his hand over it and started using his Earth Psynergy to rearrange and merge the thatching together; fixing the roof up so that you could never tell that there was a hole there.

Dora climbed up behind him and began inspecting his work. She was wearing her plain brown dress and had her brown hair done up in a bun as usual.

"Good job, Isaac, you patched it nicely." She told him, giving him a pat on the back, as she surveyed his work. "It looks like you're all done here, thank you. You're very reliable you know... just like your father was."

A wave of sadness suddenly washed over him as she said that, as the memories of his father's demise came back to him. She noticed his expression and asked, "What is it Isaac? Do you still think about the accident?"

"Yes." Was all he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. He tried not to think about that awful night three years ago. He didn't want to remember how they had all died, his father Kyle and then best friend Felix and even Felix's parents. Died because he had failed them. If only he had been stronger, he could have saved them! But then, something else, something he couldn't remember, something dark that flitted on the edge of his memory, also disturbed him. What had happened after that accident? He couldn't remember. Why had he blacked out?

"I thought so... Isaac," She started in her kind, motherly voice, "You, Garet and Jenna, have been working yourselves to the bone studying Psynergy. Do you think that things would have been any different if you'd had stronger abilities?"

Isaac knew in his heart that he could have done something to help if only he had trained harder. If he had been stronger, if he could have only done something! Then they would still be here!

"Yes, I know I could've have saved them, but I just wasn't strong enough." He replied, trying to conceal the anguish he felt in his heart at wanting to rectify his mistakes, yet never being able to. Secretly, he thought of the how some dark disturbing memory burned in the back of his mind, unidentifiable, but hinting at something that was so powerful that he couldn't defend himself from it. "If I had known how to use Psynergy back then, we could have just pulled Felix out of the water, and none of that would have happened.

"That's what I thought." She sighed, "I was devastated when Kyle died... I felt so alone... It's taken some time, but I'm better now." She smiled. "I still have you Isaac. You're seventeen years old now. You're so much like your father when he was young. I'm looking forward to seeing where life takes you."

"MA'AAAM!!" A girl's voice suddenly called out interrupting them. It was Jenna.

Jenna climber up the ladder and onto the roof to greet them.

"Hello, Jenna." Dora said.

"Good morning." Jenna replied.

Another red haired boy climbed up the ladder behind Jenna and stood on the roof with them. The four of them stood on the thatched roof together.

"Well... if it isn't Garet, too!" Dora exclaimed. "Where do you all plan to go today?" She asked.

"Kraden's taking us to see Mount Aleph." Garet replied, before Jenna could say anything.

"Mountain climbing with Kraden, eh? Kids and their games..." Dora replied with a grin, shaking her head

"No!" interrupted Jenna "It's not a game! It's part of our studies..."

"Ah, yes... Alchemy." She interrupted, "Alchemy is the foundation of all Psynergy. And you all know that Mount Aleph is where the secret to unlocking Alchemy is." They all nodded in agreement. It was because of the power of Alchemy in Mount Aleph that all the villagers of Vale had Psynergy abilities. Its power seemed to radiate out to them. Alchemy was the source of Psynergy.

"And they say that Kraden is the best teacher around, even if he is a foreigner." She shook her head, visibly vexed, "Alchemy... I wonder what use it all is?" She looked at Isaac. "You know, I would rather see you just grow up to be a happy, ordinary man."

"But I can't let Garet or Jenna become better than I am, can I?" Isaac replied humorously. "And Kraden knows so much about Alchemy; it would be a waste not to learn from him."

"I suppose you still want to go?" She asked.

"Of course, I don't want to miss out." He replied with a smile on his face.

"Well then, I guess nothing will persuade you! You're just as stubborn as your father." She smiled at him, "I suppose you'd better get going, then. I'm sure Master Kraden is waiting for you."

Isaac started for the ladder. "I'll see you later!" He called out.

"Goodbye Ma'am." Jenna said as she followed.

"I'll make sure to bring back Isaac safe and sound!" Garet joked, as he descended the ladder.

They said their farewells and the trio left. Kraden's house was across the river on the western side, and just outside of the village, by itself. Kraden had chosen to use the house as it had been abandoned for years, and offered plenty of solitude from the peaceful village, where, he could conduct his studies of Mount Aleph and Alchemy, although he often gave lectures and teachings to Isaac, Garet and Jenna, and began to refer to them as his 'students'.

Even though he was an outsider, the residents of Vale had quickly come to accept him when he arrived two years ago, from some far away place called Tolbi, and announced he would like to move in for a while to further his studies.

Normally the people of Vale refused to allow anyone to find out about their Psynergy abilities, but Kraden was very knowledgeable, and already knowing much of Alchemy, soon figured out the truth about Vales people. Once they learned that he intended to remain and not tell anyone about their secrets, they let him stay in peace. He was probably the only foreign person ever to move into Vale.

The three of the quickly began chatting as they made their way to Kraden's house. As they crossed the bridge, Isaac got a good view of the old dock along the rivers west coast. Jenna's old home before the accident. It was the only part of the village that had never gotten repaired. There was just something about it that you couldn't want to change. It was sort of just left there as an odd mark of respect. Nobody ever touched it and when merchants visited the village nobody ever really wanted to talk about it. So it was just left there, and nothing ever got done about it.

Memories of that night flashed through Isaac's head, but he ignored them. Today was the anniversary of his dad's death. Crushed by a boulder, and drowned in a raging river. If only he had been able to save them...

Choosing to ignore the bad memories, Isaac and his friends passed through the village, excitedly talking about what it would be like to finally climb up Mount Aleph and see all its wonders up close. It had taken weeks of begging and pleading with the Elders to finally let them up there, but they had finally decided that they had progressed far enough in their training to go up there. They had initially, after the accident, been reluctant to let anyone go up there at all, but after careful investigation, they decided that there was no inherent danger for anyone climbing the mountain.

They continued walking through the village. As they did, they ran into Sab walking down the street. He had always felt a bit ashamed at not being able to help them those three years ago, but no one held him responsible. It couldn't be helped of course, no one was to blame, and it wasn't his fault they had died. But still, he had never really been able to forgive himself.

But now, it seemed he was just glad to have found them.

"Thank goodness I found you!" He cried, "I suppose you haven't heard yet, have you?"

"Heard what?" Isaac asked, not knowing what exactly he was referring to.

"Some outsiders have arrived in town just this morning." He replied, "A group of four, strange looking, even as foreigners go. They've been here for a few hours already. They might be walking around, so try to make sure you don't go using any Psynergy, okay?"

They all agreed without a fuss, they knew how important it was to keep the secrets of Vale's villagers safe. Outsiders arriving in Vale were rare, but they did happen occasionally. Usually some merchant hoping to make a profit, or some traveller wanting to explore the mountain, but disappointed when they found that it was forbidden. But they all left quickly when they found that there wasn't anything interesting in Vale.

Word about outsiders always spread quickly, not because of its rarity, but because of the potential danger. The secret of Psynergy must never leave the village, so they couldn't ever use it in front of outsiders, and children were always kept indoors for the duration of their stay. Isaac was glad they hadn't seen him before up on the roof of his house. But it didn't matter to the three would be Adepts now. They would be outside of the village on the mountain all day and be too tired to be doing anything by the time they got back.

But Isaac had to ask more about them. He and Garet had an urge to know more.

"Where do they come from? What do they look like?" He asked out of curiosity, not quite knowing why he was so eager to know.

"I don't really know where they come from," Sab shrugged in response, "Not that we'd know it even if they told us, but as for the way they look, well... they're a bit weird. They all kept their hoods up all the time so we couldn't see their faces. One was wearing a mask on his face for some reason." Sab shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe he had a terrible scar he doesn't want anyone to see. Anyway, just be careful, you're all old enough to be outdoors with outsiders around, but be careful!"

They promised they would and he left to tell others of the arrival of strangers. They continued strolling through the village chatting.

"It's been a while since we had any visitors in Vale." Isaac mused.

"Ah, who cares?" Garet scoffed, "We'll be out all day so we won't see 'em. Besides, They'll probably leave before we do see them, so what does it matter?"

"Still, it would be interesting to see if they would be willing to tell us about the outside world." Jenna ventured, "There's nothing in Vale except for boring old Mount Aleph and Sol Sanctum, which we can't even enter. I'll bet there are probably some real interesting sights out there in Weyard."

"Yeah, I'd love to go out and see the world someday." Isaac replied, "It would be a great journey to take. But instead, we just have to put up with climbing up Mount Aleph."

"I wonder what we'll find up there." Jenna questioned, "It must be interesting if the Elders forbid anyone from climbing up there without their permission."

"It's probably nothing interesting," Garet shrugged, "I'll bet you it's just a mountain like any other. I want to know what's inside Sol Sanctum, in the forbidden part of the mountain, inside Mount Aleph. It must be important if the Elders have sealed it off, and have sworn to protect it."

"It's probably some insanely powerful weapon used back in the last days of the Lost Age." Isaac suggested, "During that big war that nearly ended all of Weyard."

"You mean the Alchemy War?" Jenna asked, remembering some of what Kraden had told them, "But Kraden says that it was the power of the weapons used in that war that made the wise ones decide to seal away Alchemy. Alchemy was too powerful, apparently. That's the whole reason why no-one but the Elders can enter Sol Sanctum. To prevent people from using its secret power."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be great if we did get to use such things?" Garet interjected excitedly, "Even if they are dangerous? They must have invented some pretty great things back then."

"I think that's why Sol Sanctum is supposed to be booby trapped." Isaac told him, "and the reason why the Elders don't allow anyone up near it. To prevent people from using such things"

"Who cares about what's in Sol Sanctum anyway," Garet said dismissing the hypothesised weapons, "us fire Adepts don't need such things anyway. We are by nature walking, talking, living weapons." He stuck his chest out proudly for emphasis.

"That's right," Jenna added, goading Isaac, "No one could stand up to the fury of a Mars Clan army of old. Remember hearing how they could scorch the earth? Create huge explosions, spewing fire and magma, and annihilate any enemy they came across?"

"You forget to mention the part about being soundly defeated by an army of mere Water Adepts of the Mercury Clan, in battle against an army only half your size." Isaac challenged the Mars Adept, "Soldiers who were more skilled with healing than fighting. You hotheads aren't the greatest warriors after all."

"Well, I don't recall any stories of the Venus Clan achieving great things!" Garet retorted.

"You obviously didn't hear them with that thick skull of yours." Isaac replied deftly and proudly, "Venus Clan soldiers created huge earthquakes scattering their enemies with ease and crushing them with the might of the earth, creating huge gaps in the ground under their opponent's feet." He started raising his hands in the air to emphasise the point.

"They were great defenders and very noble, more than all the other clans. They were the greatest leaders and could forge the greatest and most powerful of all weapons!"

"Yeah, wouldn't it be great if I had the chance to use some of them!" Garet began, his eyes glazing over as he focused on the dream world. Isaac smacked him playfully on the back of the head, bringing him back to reality.

"Garet, forget it." He told him, "All that stuff was lost, just like almost everything else from the Lost Age, when they sealed away Alchemy, and you aren't ever going to find anything."

They continued to pass through the lightly forested parts of the foothills of Mount Aleph.

"Yet these powerful weapons you supposedly made didn't really help you defeat the Jupiter Clan, it's told." Jenna said to him, "according to the legends, you 'Great Leaders' were supposedly defeated by an army of speedy, cunning soldiers wielding the weak power of the wind. They were able to second-guess every move you made. And you call yourself warriors?" She finished by poking her tongue out at him. She had finally got him back for his comment about Mars being defeated by Mercury.

"All right, let's just drop the whole subject about which element is better, okay?" Isaac replied with a shrug of his shoulders, clearly defeated.

They'd had this argument many times before, even before they found out which element their abilities were aligned with, when Felix was still with them, and they would guess as to what type of Adept they would be when they grew up. They were just playing with one another, really. Jenna and Garet always liked teasing the lone Venus Adept, and he always countered the Mars Adepts with claims that they were hotheads who couldn't think for themselves, which was sometimes close to the truth.

They began talking about what they would like to do once they had completed their training in using Psynergy, when they seen two strangers up ahead on the track. Their voices sounded familiar, but Isaac couldn't figure out why.

The two strangers rounded the corner and the trio could see what they looked like. One of them was a man in blue armour and hair and bluish skin that seemed almost scaly and the other was a woman with long blonde hair hanging down to her waist who was wearing a red dress and had pale skin with odd markings on her face. They looked unlike anything he had seen before.

They seemed so strongly familiar to him, yet he couldn't figure out where they came from. It was like a strange feeling of deja vu as he watched the two. Obviously they were two of those four strangers who had arrived in Vale that morning.

The two strangers didn't at first notice them as they strolled down the path quietly conversing with one another.

"They seem to know little of Sol Sanctum's mysteries." the man said to his partner as they walked down the dirt path. "The Elders of Vale must not permit anyone to enter it, not even Kraden."

"Kraden..." the women mused to her companion, "Do you think we can use him?"

"Hmm... his knowledge is no meagre thing..." The man admitted, "We can use him. If he were willing to cooperate, that is."

"But he's more stubborn than we had expected of him..." She stated sounding slightly irritated and shaking her head.

"And cunning too..." He replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Cunning beyond measure."

"If he won't go willingly with us," she stated, unwillingly with a reluctant sigh, "Then we can always..."

It was then that the man with the blue skin noticed them and stopped.

"Hey, you there," He called to them in a surprised voice, interrupting his female companion, "What are you doing?" The women turned clearly just as surprised to see them there.

"What are we doing?" Garet replied defensively, "What's it to you?"

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" The women demanded indignantly.

"No, we were just passing by," Isaac said cautiously, not wanting to get them angry, "It's not like we weren't trying to listen to you or anything."

"Oh, so you did hear us talking!" Said the women slightly surprised by his admission, but sounding more than a little aggravated, "Well, we can't allow you to continue your spying!"

"Hey, we weren't 'spying'!" Jenna said to them in an angry tone, "We just happened to be walking past while you were talking!"

"Hey! What are you getting so paranoid for?" Garet added aggressively, "What, are you trying to sneak around or something?"

"Sneaking..." The man said, sounding slightly offended, "Who are you to accuse me!"

"Hey, we're just on our way to see Kraden." Isaac told them calmly, trying to defuse the situation. Why did they seem so familiar?

"So if you would be so kind as to get out of our way...?" Jenna asked them in an uppity way.

Suddenly the women's face lit up. "So you're the ones who Kraden was meeting with."

"Yeah," Jenna spoke up "we're off to meet him right now as a matter of fact." She said folding her arms across her chest. Garet did the same, sticking out his chin trying to make himself look even bigger. They were going to get into a fight with this sort of attitude.

"Fine, then." The man shrugged, "If your errand is more important than our own then... go." He said dismissing them with his hand, as though they weren't worth the effort.

"Are you sure, Saturos?" The women asked, sounding slightly concerned. Saturos? Was that his name? "What if they tell..."

"Menardi," The man, Saturos, interrupted quickly, "We have no reason to delay these children any further."

"Let's just go, Isaac." Garet suggested, pulling on his friends arm urging him to go.

The women, Menardi was it? She didn't say anything, but glared at them for a moment, the left with Saturos down the path. The two strangers quickly disappeared down the path, and the three young Adepts continued on their way to Kraden's.

Why had they been so uptight about them hearing their conversation? And what exactly were they talking about? Something didn't seem right.

"What was their problem?" Jenna asked no one in particular. "It's not like they were talking about anything private! So arrogant! What could they be doing that is so secret? It's not like they mentioned anything that we weren't allowed to hear."

"Jenna," Isaac began "I don't know... they sound almost like they're up to something, maybe we should be careful of them. It's probably nothing, but I have a bad feeling about them. Their anger at us hearing them was a bit suspicious." Maybe they were up to something.

"Why?" Jenna replied a bit miffed "I think that they just wanted to know about Sol Sanctum, and were just angry because Kraden wouldn't tell them much. You know how he's not supposed to talk about Vale with strangers." She stomped furiously and continued walking. Isaac hated seeing her when she was like this. She was much better to be around when she was in a nice mood.

Garet didn't say anything. Even he knew it was better not to get involved when she was in this mood. Isaac just followed her quietly deciding now was not the time to rouse her anger. He kept thinking of why those two, Saturos and Menardi, would be talking to them in that way. What was it about what they had said that they didn't want others to hear? Something about them tugged at a memory, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was. Something long ago... he started to remember...

The memories started slowly coming back. He remembered seeing them that day, on top of the cliff. What they had said to one another. They had been in Sol Sanctum for some reason, and set off a trap that summoned the storm. The awesome power of Alchemy... How they attacked him and Garet when they found out that they had heard everything. That was what had happened. It was a trap that _they_ had triggered in the Sanctum that created the storm. The storm that had taken away four innocent lives.

"It was them." Isaac said softly, not realising he'd spoken aloud, until Jenna turned and spoke to him.

"What was them?" She asked. Garet turned to look at him. Judging by the expression on his face he hadn't heard Isaac's unintended comment, nor had he yet remembered about those two strangers. But then, he probably hadn't thought about it too much either. He tended to only pay attention to the here and now.

"Oh nothing." Isaac replied, trying to dismiss the subject.

"No, what did you mean by that?" She asked stubbornly.

_How could I tell her? _He thought to himself. How could he say that it was Saturos and Menardi's fault that they had started the storm that had killed her entire family? He didn't want to hurt her feelings like that; he cared for her too much. It was still as great a loss for her as for him. He decided that now was not the time to bring up old memories. He just couldn't bring himself to.

For now, he intended to stay out of the way of those strangers. Isaac was sure that not even all three of them could have defeated the awesome power that those two had wielded. It would probably take more might than all the Elders of Vale to over power them.

"I was just saying that they were two of those strangers that arrived this morning." Isaac lied to her.

"Well, obviously!" Garet said to him, turning away and walking down the track, "I think that was at least a bit obvious."

Jenna turned and continued to Kraden's house, which was now in sight.

"Honestly Isaac, you're getting more unobservant than Garet here!" She told him.

"Hey, I heard that!" Garet shouted over his shoulder.

"That's typical of the Venus Adepts, though. Too hard headed to see what's in front of their own eyes." Jenna remarked cheekily.

"Oh, don't start that argument again!" Isaac sighed, racing to catch up to them.

"Well, here we are at Kraden's house!" Garet said, preventing an argument developing.

They walked up to Kraden's house and saw him outside his front door pacing back and forth irritable and muttering to himself as he sometimes did when he was thinking heavily.

Kraden was the very image of a scholar who was smart, but always to busy with his studies to bother with his appearance. He had unkempt grey hair and beard. He was wearing a brown robe that probably didn't get washed as much as it should. And he wore these strange things in front of his eyes called "glasses" which no one in Vale had ever seen before. He claimed they helped him to see and read better, but Isaac couldn't understand how they worked. Even though he knew so much about Alchemy and Psynergy, he wasn't even an Adept, just a normal person from some far away land that none of them had ever heard of before.

"Just who were they?" The Alchemy Sage muttered, "They already know too much about Sol Sanctum... things that even the Elders of Vale don't know. And what were they saying about the elements? The elements of Alchemy... Earth, Water, Fire and Wind... They plan to set them into motion?" He paused for a moment.

"And the four elemental stars are the keys? What do they want? What were they getting at? Maybe... no, they couldn't be..." It was then that he noticed Isaac and the gang there.

Kraden had been talking with those two. About Alchemy? This was getting interesting...

"Oh, Isaac!" He exclaimed, noticing the trio and interrupting Isaac's thoughts.

"You look like something's bothering you." Jenna said to the old scholar.

"Me? Ah well..." Kraden began, staring down the path.

"It's those two isn't it?" Garet guessed, "Saturos and Menardi were their names, right?"

"Are they still out there?" He sighed, "They're very persistent..."

"Did they want something from you Kraden?" Jenna inquired.

"That seems to be the case..." He said drifting off, stroking his bushy grey beard.

"Seems to be?" Isaac asked. "What exactly were they talking about with you?"

"Mount Aleph and Sol Sanctum..." He replied, drifting off for a moment before resuming, "They spoke as if they'd seen them with their own eyes...isn't that strange?"

Remembered memories came back into his head.

"Err... yeah..." Isaac said, remembering Saturos and Menardi talking about actually being in there.

_That switch, it must have been a trap. _Saturos words echoed in Isaac's memory. _Regardless, we must not fail the next time we challenge Sol Sanctum. _What had they been looking for? What was in there that they wanted?

"Yes, you can't enter Sol Sanctum without direct permission from the Elders of Vale." Kraden continued stroking his grey beard, interrupting Isaac's memory.

"They must have snuck in" Jenna exclaimed, "and if they were breaking into the Sanctum, then they might be thieves!"

"We should go tell the Elders and the other villagers!" Garet added excitedly.

Jenna and Garet turned to go but Kraden stopped them.

"Wait everyone! I still don't know how accurate the things they told me were. We can do nothing until we confirm what they told me."

"Then, what should we do?" Isaac asked.

"Well, we go confirm it." Kraden stated matter-of-factly, "Find out if what they said about Sol Sanctum's interior is true and what they intend to steal, if anything, from there."

"Do you mean we should go into Sol Sanctum ourselves?" Garet asked, taken aback.

"That's impossible!" Isaac added.

Enter Sol Sanctum? If the Elders found out, they would never forgive them. But then, Isaac reasoned, it would be interesting to know what was in there.

"Why would it be impossible to get in there?" Kraden chuckled, "Just because climbing Mount Aleph is forbidden?"

"Well...yes, the Elders would never give us their permission." Isaac answered.

"We're just going to see if they've been to the mountain." The old scholar replied, "Surely that would be acceptable."

That seemed alright, Isaac figured. They were only looking, they wouldn't touch anything. Just to prove that those strangers were up to no good. Then the Elders would banish the strangers from Vale. Simple. That would solve the problem of these two strangers poking their noses where they weren't welcome.

"We'll be fine if the Elders don't find out, right?" Garet asked, looking for reassurance.

"Of course." replied Isaac, "There's nothing to worry about, just a quick look. I'm sure the Elders will understand if Kraden explains it all."

"This will have to be just our little secret." Jenna told them, "At least, until we've told the Elders that we discovered thieves trying to break into the sacred Sanctum."

"Then it's decided!" Kraden exclaimed, "This is our best bet. Just wait one second."

He ran inside his house, immediately searching for something amidst all the clutter that was around. There were various books scattered about everywhere, and all sorts of specimens of various things from around Weyard inside glass tubes. The sounds of him searching through the clutter on his desk could be heard and after while he emerged again, seemingly satisfied that he'd found what he was looking for.

"Alright then, let's go!" He told them.

* * *

Okay then, sorry to end it there, but it was just getting too long, and I couldn't be bothered continuing. Besides, Sol Sanctum should be done in one chpater to itself, not mashed together with all this inane stuff. A lot of this chapter was probably pointless, but now the story begins to get good (and relevant). So, stick with me (please?) the story is about to get rolling!

Please leave a review on your way out, thank you!


	3. The Secrets of Sol Sanctum

**A/N**: Well, I finally got to a proper chapter where something actually happens! Well, almost… it sort of ends before the end of the sanctum, because it was getting to damn long. Anyhoo, to the reviewers.

**Favri the Fisher**: Glad you liked it better without the games dialougue. That's only being used as a guide from here on out. (mainly so I don't do something stupid like miss an important point which I would otherwise). Pleased you liked that I added in some stuff of my own, there is going to be a lot more of that, just to give the story more life and interest and stuff.

**GoldenSunGeek**: Thanks for reading them both! All stories should be rich in detail, I believe, it always makes things better. You wanted to write your own novelisation? Cool! You should still do it if you can, I'd read it! For some reason, I just like the idea of GS in novel format, hence this! Sorry, there'll be no mudshipping, strictly Isaac/Jenna, although, if it pleases you, I do have a few little ideas in store for Isaac and Mia later on which may satisfy the Mudshipper in you, while hopefully not offending the Isaac/Jenna fans. What is it? An affair? Change of heart? Ah, my friend, I cannot say, you shall just have to see… PS: Note chapter name! Was originally boring old "Sol Sanctum"!

**Adajfsas** (or whatever it was): Blame spellcheck. Lousy stinkin' piece of crap. Had to do it all on my own!

**Stormhammer**: Yeah, just couldn't put in that stupid roof scene. Way too lame. Besides, who the hell cares about that, or wants to read about it? No one is my bet. Hopefully my taste in humour is better than the game the whole time (not too hard!) Yeah, I knw this was a filler chapter, but sometimes you just have to have 'em. I'm glad you like all the descriptions and personalities, I do work hard to try and make them good and believable! Ha, pressure indeed, we'll see if I can indeed live up to your expectations.

**K Rool**: Oh yeah? _100 bucks_ says I do! I don't give up that easily! The challenge is on! (everyone remember that! )

**Disclaimer**: I went to the Camelot compound the other day, and told them I was interested in purchasing the rights to Golden Sun. The security guard laughed in my face, then told me to piss of or he'd release the hounds. Jerk. So, looks like you're relying on them to make GS3.

When I updated this, there were a some reviews that I missed out on replying for in Chapter one. I did read them, but they were submitted they same day as I uploaded, so that's why they weren't replied to. Seeing as they didn't review again, I guess they're no longer reading, so won't bother to reply. 

By the way, me and Cyan Light have partnered up to create a history of Weyard, The Chronicles of Wyeard. Sorry, shameless plug! It'll get good, especially for Chapter 2! Meanwhile, read his novel also, also! More plugs!

Anyway, I had to slightly edit Sol Sanctum. Did anyone ever think it was just a little bit TOO easy to get in? Just waltz up when the guy's not looking, open the door, and solve a puzzle that's so easy, it's a wonder Sat and Men didn't get it first time. Oh yeah, and those stupid eye puzzles (removed from story for sheer lack of interest). So, I tried to make it a little more interesting. The doors locked (why would they just leave it open?) and inside it's a bit of a maze. I could have done more, but I'm sure no one cares about reading stupid little puzzles (boring!) so it still does seem quick and easy to get in, but that's more because I don't think anyone wants to read pointless stuff than because I can't be bothered. Well, read on.

**CHAPTER TWO**

**THE SECRETS OF SOL SANCTUM**

They passed through the village quickly, careful not to meet with anyone they knew so as to avoid notice and made their way north to where the entrance to Sol Sanctum in Mount Aleph was. To get to the entrance, they had to climb a short path that started right next to the Elders sanctum. That path was the only access point that they had.

They came up to entrance of Vale Sanctum, where the Elders held their meetings. From the outside it looked just like a large stone door in the side of a rocky wall. Isaac had never actually been in there but imagined that it must be very impressive. Just to the left of it were the stairs that led up to the path that wound up the mountain and into Sol Sanctum.

"This is dangerous," breathed Isaac "If the Elders find out about this, they'll kill us!"

He looked around to make sure that no-one actually was watching. But all around them the immediate area was empty. Everyone was elsewhere, presumably to avoid the strangers. What fortunate luck.

"Hey, don't worry Isaac." Garet replied overconfidently "They're not going to find out, we'll make sure of it."

They came to the foot of the stairs and Isaac looked up the path. The path twisted around the trees, so he couldn't see very far. They began climbing the stairs with Kraden up ahead of them.There were a few trees along the side of the path as they walked up to it and one of the Elders just happened to come out from behind one.

Isaac groaned. He should have known that one of them would be keeping watch on the entrance.

He was dressed as usual in his white robe with a blue cloak, which is what symbolized him as an Elder. This was one of the younger ones, his short curly hair still brown, with hardly any grey and a healthy brown beard. He only looked to be in his mid forties. The Elders were powerful Adepts who were always very kind-hearted and older than most other villagers. Although the Elders were the most powerful Adepts in Vale, and the Great Elder the most powerful, Isaac, Jenna and Garet were told that they would eventually dwarf them with their abilities some day.

"Where do you think your going? You aren't thinking of climbing up Mount Aleph on this path, are you?" The Elder spoke to them in a deep, yet kind voice. He made it clear that if they were, there would be trouble. But it was then that he noticed Kraden and he smiled. The Elders all knew Kraden and trusted him, so they knew that if he was with these kids there wouldn't be any trouble.

"Oh no, Elder," Kraden said to him in a friendly voice "we were just passing through, we weren't even thinking of going anywhere near Sol Sanctum. Just hiking up Mount Aleph, on the far side"

"Well that's good," he said smiling at Kraden "You take good care of these kids now." And with that he walked of out of sight.

"We'd better hurry," Jenna suggested, "I don't think that he'll be gone long."

"True," Isaac agreed, "The Elders have kept a tight watch on the entrance to Sol Sanctum since that storm three years ago..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish.

The group took a good look around, to make sure of their loneliness and continued on their way up the trail, taking care not to be seen by anyone. Once they had gotten this far, there wouldn't be anyway to lie about why they were up here. The trail was a bit long and winding, but after a few minutes of some quiet walking, they arrived at the entrance to Sol Sanctum.

The area was surrounded by a thick grove of trees, so there was no risk of them being seen here unless by someone who was also going to the Sanctum. But that wouldn't happen, as the Elders never let anyone up here and they themselves almost never came up here except on rare special occasions, which everyone would have certainly known about in advance. Isaac didn't think any Elder had in fact been in Sol Sanctum at all during his life time. Which was why Saturos and Menardi would have probably found it easy to get in, once they got this far.

Isaac looked at the mountainside in front of him. Carved into the paved ground was a giant seal with the emblem of Sol emblazoned upon it, a blazing sun within a circle. Ahead, two staircases led to a giant stone door, flanked by several pillars carved into the mountainside. Isaac could feel the air around him tingling with anticipation, as though he had just entered some sort of holy place.

Except of course he had. Sol Sanctum. Deep inside Mount Aleph, which was the resting place of the power of Alchemy, where it was sealed away. Where the source of all Psynergy came from. And inside Sol Sanctum, which Vale was sworn to protect, was the hidden secret that the people of Vale were meant to defend. Except of course, nobody really knew what exactly it was.

He heard Garet come up beside him and watched his gaze travel across the sanctum's entrance.

"Wow," was all he could say, clearly impressed and awe inspired.

Isaac said nothing, merely observed the grand entrance to the sacred temple of Sol Sanctum.

"This is amazing," Jenna said, awestruck. She took a few steps closer to the door. "Well, let's go have a look inside!"

"I agree," Kraden said, hastening forward. Isaac and Garet hurried to follow in their wake, up the smooth stone steps. They were all eager to see inside the forbidden relic of Vale's past, an insight into the Lost Age. But they had to stop when they found the door wouldn't budge.

"It's locked." Garet muttered, as he pushed harder.

"Well, of course it would be." Kraden stated simply as he joined them. "Do you think they would leave the entrance of something so important unlocked, just so that anyone could come in?"

"Well, yeah, that's a good point, Kraden." Isaac murmured in reply.

"So then, how exactly _do_ we get in?" Jenna questioned, "If you think that those two strangers really did come in here, then there must be a way to unlock it."

"Of course. I just don't know how to." was the scholar's reply.

"What, so you mean we came all this way, and we can't even get in!?" Garet exclaimed.

"So how are we meant to prove Saturos and Menardi were even in here, if we can't even get in there?" Jenna asked, "Kraden, you idiot! This was just a big waste of time!"

"Now, now, young Jenna. Calm down. I didn't lead you up here on some wild goose chase." The Alchemy Sage chuckled, "If those two were able to figure it out, then I'm sure we could, too. We just have to look at things objectively."

"Uh, okay then…" Garet started slowly, "So what do we do?"

"I can't really help you here, children." Kraden sighed, "I'm just a simple old man, not an Adept. I can only hope your training has been enough to help you figure it out." He gazed at the door slowly, carefully, as though he intended to probe its secret's with his 'glasses' aided gaze. "Isaac, you're the Earth Adept here. Perhaps you might be able to see something in the puzzle."

Isaac looked carefully at heavy, stone door ahead of him. Being an Earth Adept, he had a sort of 'affinity' for his element; he could feel and sense it with his mind. And right now, he could feel that there was no way he could force those doors open without physically breaking them apart.

"Well?" Jenna asked impatiently, "What do you see? Have you found a way in?" Isaac wished she wouldn't rush him like that.

"No, this isn't very easy." He replied, "But, I can sort of pick up a Psynergy flow, like through a conduit of some sort…" He looked carefully at the door, his gaze trailing the 'Psynergy flow' down and along the floor, "and it seems to originate from…" He looked to where the flow began, "there." He pointed to a large stone statue behind them that he had somehow failed to notice when he first arrived.

"Hey, I can feel it too!" Garet exclaimed, "Now that you point it out."

"Yes, I shouldn't imagine it would be too terribly important which element an Adept was." Kraden voiced, "Just as long as whomever wants to enter _is_ an Adept, that's all that matters."

The three Adepts and Kraden walked back to the stone statue. It was a very simple, perfectly spherical stone ball, held atop a short stone pillar. Isaac could sense that it was carved out of the earth as one whole object part of the ground beneath it, yet it had been so cunningly crafted, it looked as though you could remove the stone orb simply by lifting it off.

"I feel it to." Jenna murmured, "It's almost like there is a pulsing flow of Psynergy from within that orb."

"Yes, I felt this might be true." Kraden murmured, "So, somehow, one of you three must figure out how to use this to make the door unlocked."

"I'll try that!" Garet declared, before standing right next to the orb and placing his hands on it, focusing on it with his mind, his body glowing lightly with Psynergy. He seemed to be concentrating very hard, more so than he was usually seen doing. After a short while, however, he gave up, and threw his hands up in the air in defeat.

"This is stupid! I don't get it! How are you meant to try and make it open the door?"

"You're an idiot, Garet!" Jenna teased, "Let me do it! Girls are always smarter than boys, anyway."

"Are not!"

"Are too! It's a fact!"

"Sshh! You don't want us to be heard now, do you?" Kraden warned.

Jenna assumed the same pose that Garet had, placing her hands on the stone silently, and said nothing in return. Her body too shone softly with the glow of Psynergy as she focused on the Psynergy flow within the orb.

Isaac couldn't help but notice her figure from where he stood. In the past three years, she had grown to become quite a beautiful woman. Her auburn blaze of hair complemented her pretty face, and strong, feminine figure.

_You shouldn't be thinking that way about her, you idiot!_ He thought to himself, _She's your friend! Get a grip!_

True, they had become fairly close over the past three years, as they comforted one another from their loss, but they weren't like that with one another!

"Forget it! I'm just as confused as Garet here!" she sighed reluctantly, breaking Isaac out of his inner thoughts.

"I told you that you couldn't do it!" Garet smirked.

"You never said that!" She retorted.

"Well, I still knew that you couldn't!"

"Isaac, do you think you might be able to figure it out?" Kraden inquired, looking to the puzzling stone orb.

"Yeah, you're an Earth Adept, so you'd probably have some advantage." Garet suggested.

Isaac stood by the stone, and focused all his attention on it. He could feel the Psynergy from within it, pulsing, yet somewhat constrictively not allowing him access to it.

"Kraden, do you know anything about this?" Isaac inquired. The scholar stroked his grey beard for a moment, and pondered the situation.

"Well, I do recall vaguely some article on Sol Sanctum that entrance to the building could only be permitted to one whose intentions were pure of heart, if they could unlock the door… I don't rightly recall the details properly, but it did go something along those lines."

Isaac again focused on the stone before him, focusing the Psynergy from within himself, and melding his mind with the power within the stone.

For a moment, it almost seemed as though the power within it were going through him, testing his soul, then with a feeling of almost acceptance, the power was his to control. Now knowing quite precisely what it was that he did, he forced the flow to allow them access to Sol Sanctum. Behind him, he heard a grinding stone noise of something shifting within the door.

"Hey, I think he did it!" Garet exclaimed, making for the door.

"This is a sacred relic of our past, children," Kraden reminded his pupils in a wizened, experienced voice as Garet pushed open the heavy stone door, "I trust you will treat it as such."

"Well, that wasn't so hard after all." Garet said.

"I knew you'd be able to do it!" Jenna congratulated Isaac with a cute smile, almost causing him to blush.

"Quiet, we don't want anyone to hear us!" Kraden warned them as they entered.

They saw a long, dark corridor stretch off into the darkness. They took a few steps inside and had a look around. The walls were plain, blue stone, with unlit torches spread evenly along the walls.

Garet's body glowed briefly for a second as he summoned his Psynergy, and formed a small flame within his hand, lighting one of the torches along the wall. Suddenly all the torches in the hallway lit up by themselves, leaving Garet a bit stunned.

"Ok… that was a bit weird," he said, still looking at the torches "but still fairly useful I suppose."

"This place was built long ago, during the Lost Age." Kraden reminded his pupils, "There are bound to be a few things in here that we don't comprehend. Just be careful, and don't do anything rash, especially you, Garet."

"Hey, I was just giving us some light!" The Fire Adept replied innocently.

With the light from the torches glowing, the group found themselves in a long hallway carved of blue stone. The torches lit up the hallway in an eerie, flickering, red light as they proceeded deeper into the Sanctum. Shadows danced across Isaac's face as he looked around. It was an area pulsing with mystery and excitement.

"So this is Sol Sanctum?" Jenna mused, staring around the place.

"Well, this is just the hallway that leads deeper into the sanctum, I think." Kraden suggested walking in.

He shut the door behind them and had a look around.

"Alright then, the only way to go is straight ahead!" He declared, walking ahead down the corridor and leaving the other behind him following. "We'll see in here whether those two strangers were telling the truth!"

Suddenly, noises could be heard from further down the hallway, disturbing the ancient silence.

"Kraden, what was that?" Jenna asked from the scholar ahead of her.

"Well, it's possible there are some wild animals in here." Kraden told them, "Nobody has been in here for years, so some creatures may have made their home in here. I'm sure they won't be too dangerous... I hope."

Dangerous animals possibly inhabiting Sol Sanctum? And Isaac had been worried about walking into one of those booby traps that Saturos and Menardi had allegedly set off!

"Hey, Isaac!" Jenna called, looking at Isaac with a smirk. "Maybe you'd better take the front and lead us."

Isaac smiled at her humour. "Well, if you need a great warrior to lead you, then you came to the right guy." He teased back.

"Hey, you seem to be forgetting the almighty Garet here!" the burly Mars Adept interjected from behind.

"Now, now." Kraden interrupted them, "Quiet please, this is an ancient, sacred place, try not to disturb it."

They continued quietly walking; none of them wanting to disturb the absolute silence, only the sound of their footsteps were to be heard.

While Kraden walked ahead, Isaac was following him trying to look around at the same time. He had expected something extremely impressive to greet him the minute he opened the door.

_Oh well _he though to himself _all the interesting stuff must be up ahead._

The hallway certainly looked fairly basic. It was exactly the same the whole way through, blue stone all around arranged perfectly with torches placed evenly along the walls.

They eventually came to a fork in the corridor, both paths going at perfect right angles to the one they had come down. Kraden suggested they take the left path and they agreed.

So they continued following him, hoping he knew where he was going, as he took many twists and turns around the corridors until none of them knew the way back.

Occasionally as they walked through, they would enter a small room with four pillars spread evenly through it. In these rooms there were always four options of four different pathways to take. Here either Kraden usually suggested the way to go next, going only on his gut instinct. After a while Isaac began to get lost and he hoped they'd be able to find their way back.

"What did you mean before about saying you hoped the animals weren't dangerous?" Isaac asked suddenly, disturbing the tranquil silence as his voice echoed down the corridor. "Surely nothing dangerous would make its home in here?"

"Ah well, this goes in with my theory about natural living things, and Psynergy." The Alchemy Sage began, beginning one of his long lectures he had obviously intended to tell them some time. "Humans are all capable of wielding Psynergy if the ability is within them at birth. This makes them Adepts. Such as here in Vale, where the power of Mount Aleph radiates out to infuse itself inside the people. In the Lost Age, with Alchemy upon the world, everyone was born with this ability, the elemental ability usually being determined by the parents, although some theories suggest that the proximity to one of the four elemental lighthouses may also made a difference. Theoretically, any living being should be capable of wielding this power. But only humans ever do. I do not know why. Since the sealing away of Alchemy, which marked the end of the Lost Age, mankind lost this ability, until only the people of Vale continued to wild it, because of the power of nearby Mount Aleph.

"Although there is some reason to believe that occasionally, although rarely, other Adepts are born out in the world with these abilities naturally, for reasons unknown. My point is, humans only need the conditions to be right to theoretically become Adepts, and wield Psynergy of one of the four elements. However, animals never get this ability in the same conditions. But there is some possibility hinted at in old books which suggest that animals can be infused with this ability forcefully, with the power of Psynergy Stones. These are stones of, I assume, some sort of solidified Psynergy material. When it comes into contact with animals, and even humans, both Adepts and non-Adepts, that power is transferred into their living being. In Adepts, such as yourselves, this is supposed to refill their Psynergy supply, which I understand is drained as you use it, replenishing only slowly and with much rest. The effect on non-Adept humans is unknown, although I suspect it may change them into Adepts of the elements they would have been born, had the conditions been right.

"But animals, the power is not meant for them, it doesn't work right and the Psynergy works in them spasmodically, dangerously. These full effects are unknown, as no proper experiments have ever been done. This is mainly because, of course, no Psynergy Stones are available out in the outside world, apart from that large, powerful structure in Vale's plaza.

"Psynergy Stones can only form inside Mount Aleph, probably because it is the resting place of the ancient power of Alchemy, source of Psynergy. And the only way to access such things is to enter Sol Sanctum."

"Uh, Kraden," Garet interrupted, "What exactly does this have to do with the potentially dangerous animals in Sol Sanctum?"

"Ah, yes, I forget myself." The old scholar replied, snapping out of his dream state, "I get caught up in explaining all this."

If Isaac had known he would get such a lengthy explanation to his question, he would have just remained silent.

"Well, anyway, if some animals have made a home inside Sol Sanctum, then maybe they have inadvertedly absorbed some of the power of the Psynergy that resonates in here making them dangerous. Their bodies could repel Psynergy to some degree, making them strong, even to Adepts. They could be troublesome if we run into them, and they decide to defend their territory."

"So that's it." Isaac murmured. A lot to learn in one day. Isaac decided not to ask anymore, he wanted to focus on Sol Sanctum, not learn anymore about Alchemy.

"Do you think that's what Saturos and Menardi came in here for?" Jenna asked quizzically, "For Psynergy Stones?"

The old Alchemy Sage shook his head doubtfully. "I don't think so. If they did, they'd probably go for the one in the village plaza. That is easier to get, and not exactly protected. But even if they wanted more, and came in here, I still don't think somehow, that they are after Psynergy stones, useful though they'd be. Sol Sanctum was built to protect something more valuable than that, I believe. The Elders defend something more dangerous than that."

"Well then, what is it that could be in here?" Isaac asked, "If it's not Psynergy stones they want to steal, then what else is there that we need to keep safe in here?"

"I cannot be entirely too sure..." Kraden replied trailing off, and he said no more on the subject. His tone of voice made Isaac suspect that Kraden may have had an idea, but as he said nothing more on the matter, Isaac decided not to ask. Aside from the fact that Kraden was probably as sure as Isaac might be, he didn't want another overly long winded explanation.

They continued exploring the large, deep, silent passageways of Sol Sanctum for a while longer, though they still found no sign of what those thieves might be after. Apparently, Kraden was looking for a room that the two had described as the heart of Sol Sanctum, and if he found it, he'd know that they were telling the truth about being in here.

Eventually Kraden decided he should started teaching them what he had planned to originally for their hike up Mount Aleph.

"Seeing as this is going to be a long walk, I suppose I should at least teach you a bit of today's lesson regarding Alchemy." Kraden told them breaking the silence, "You should probably know what it is exactly that we're dealing with."

Isaac figured he may as well listen to the old man lecture them than brood on what Saturos and Menardi were after.

"Now, you all know that Mount Aleph is our most sacred peak, home to Sol Sanctum, the resting place of Alchemy. Hundreds of years ago, Alchemy was free upon this realm, and its power made everyone an Adept of one of the four elements. The people used it to create great civilizations. The sanctums were built during this Golden Age, and the four Clans grew powerful with the aid of the four elemental lighthouses."

"The elemental lighthouses?" Jenna questioned him. They all vaguely knew about the legends of the four lighthouses, but none had yet been taught any specific facts by the Elders.

"Yes. Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. One for each element, of Water, Wind, Fire and Earth. These lighthouses contained all the power of that element. Those who dwelled at the foot of the lighthouses became skilled Adepts in that particular element. They formed clans, and protected the lighthouses against all evil. Many great things were constructed by their working together to use their Psynergy abilities to create things that are now only dreamed of."

"The old Clans of the Lost Age." Isaac stated, "They've all died out now, haven't they."

"In all the known world, yes." Kraden stated, a little annoyed at being interrupted. He continued, "Unfortunately, Alchemy was too great a power for some. A few tried to use Alchemy's gifts to become rich, wage war, and gain dominion over the entire world. This was the great Alchemy War, also known as the War of Alchemy. The four Clans, as well as all the great civilizations of the time, including Atteka, Hesperia, Lemuria and Ankhol, all tried to destroy each other in their quest for dominion over all."

"Terrible tales of this time still exist today, giving us just a glimpse of what happened during those final days of the Golden Age of man, which is now known as the Lost Age. I suppose I should explain something about each of these four Clans, based on what I do know."

"The Venus Clan, the Earth Adepts, were strong, disciplined warriors and great leaders. They forged many powerful weapons, and built great, strong fortifications."

Isaac smiled at the positive description of his Psynergy element that the old Alchemy Sage gave.

"They created great earthquakes, made enormous holes in the ground to destroy their opponents and used their powerful weapons to annihilate them in hand-to-hand combat. They were also proficient healers, though none could surpass the Mercury Clan."

"The Mercury Clan, the element of water, although famous for being able to heal almost anything short of death, were still excellent warriors and were able to constantly win over their enemies by blasting them with water and freezing them with ice. They were able to constantly best the Mars Clan, the greatest warriors of that age, in combat due to their elemental advantage and ability to heal all those who were injured almost instantly."

"The Mars Clan, powerfully wielding fire, almost always triumphed over foes in combat due to their shear ferocity and power in flames."

Garet and Jenna, both fire Adepts, smiled at this.

"All though it has often been said, with some degree of truth no doubt, that they were too hot-headed and battle anxious to be able to outsmart their enemies."

That wiped off both Garet and Jenna's smile, though neither said anything, to engrossed in what Kraden was telling them.

"This is a stark contrast to the Jupiter Clan, the Adepts of the Wind. They were smart and clever. During the peaceful golden years, they produced some of the greatest philosophers and thinkers ever. They could even foresee some major events it's told. Wielding great tornadoes and mighty bolts of lightning, they trounced their arch enemies, the Venus Clan. This was mostly due to their Elemental advantage."

Isaac frowned at this. How could such pathetic fighters beat warriors of his element? It didn't seem right. But he listened on anyway.

"These Clans and Kingdoms tore the land apart with their massive attacks during the war, destroying entire cities and armies in a single blow. Thousands of people were being slaughtered and nations destroyed in this war for power over all. The world was crumbling into nothing. Something had to be done, or else everything would be destroyed and civilisation would cease to exist.

"A few brave Adepts decided the only way to save the world from strife would be to seal Alchemy away. It was indeed an incredibly radical idea, nothing that anyone had ever thought of, though certainly most opposed. This quest in itself was indeed one of courage and adventure, though almost nothing of it is known today."

"So these Adepts travelled to the four elemental lighthouses. After penetrating the defences of the lighthouse, they absorbed its power into one of the four Elemental Stars that held the full power of the beacons of those lighthouses. After the four Adepts, with the help of their friends and allies, had absorbed the power of all four lighthouses, they destroyed the Stone of Sages, the source of all Alchemy. A writer of the time is quoted to have said, 'the Golden Sun has faded!', perhaps referring to the loss of such magnificent power, although I can't be sure that is what they were referring to with 'Golden Sun'. At any rate, the seal on Alchemy was in place. Anyone who held an Elemental Star held the complete source of Psynergetic power over that element. These ancient orbs of power were sealed away, hidden and have remained lost even to this day."

"So the key to the power of Alchemy is contained within the Elemental Stars?" Isaac asked, wanting to reaffirm what the old man had said. "And their power can destroy the seal on Alchemy? Unleash it on Weyard once more?"

"Correct," Kraden replied, "If this were to come to pass, the threat of Alchemy would once again be unleashed upon Weyard. Great wars would return and powerful warriors would attempt dominion over all of Weyard with its power." He thought for a moment. "But then, if it was released, and someone obtained the Stone of Sages when it reformed, well... because the only Adepts remaining alive are in Vale, and they aren't really warriors, that one wielder of pure ultimate Alchemic might would be unstoppable. The world would fall to it's knees before them. Even in the Lost Age, the might of all four Clans couldn't have stopped someone wielding the very Stone of Sages itself! They would have eventually been destroyed. The Stone of Sages would give immortality, eternal life and unlimited power! Nothing could oppose them! Fortunately that couldn't possibly happen... one would have to find the four Elemental Stars first, then use their power from within them to relight the four Lighthouses, no mean feat!"

Kraden paused for a moment and nobody said anything as they continued walking. The three Adept pupils thought about what Kraden had told them, trying to comprehend the enormous power that was safely sealed away. They didn't pay to much attention to the scenery around them as they thought about Kraden's story. They were supposed to be looking for signs that those thieves had been really been in here, or at least Kraden was, since he knew properly what it was they were looking for. But they still hadn't seen anything that triggered the old Sages' memory. Isaac stopped thinking about Kraden's story and started looking around the Sanctum. The silence was getting to him, only the sounds of their footsteps were to be heard.

They walked through the silent corridors, forgetting all about the possibilities of the creatures that had made their home in the Sanctum. While no-one was paying attention, a large bat suddenly came at them from the darkness. It shrieked in as much surprise at seeing them as they had of seeing it. It flew at them quickly, accidentally striking Jenna in her forehead. Straight away Garet singed it with a small fireball, the first Psynergy ability he had ever learned. It wasn't very powerful, Garet still only just learning how to use his fire abilities, but it killed the creature nonetheless.

"I say!" Kraden exclaimed, turning suddenly to see the commotion "Good work there, Garet!"

"Are you alright, Jenna?" Isaac asked, his voice full of concern.

Jenna gingerly reached up to touch her forehead and looked at the small patch of blood on her hand.

"I'm fine." She insisted, "Just a little surprised, that's all."

"Let me help you." Isaac pleaded anyway. He placed his hand on her head, and a soft glow came from his body as his Psynergy formed his Venus healing ability. It was one of the first Psynergy spells he had learned, and he only knew a few, the only healing ability he knew. It wasn't strong or powerful, but it worked. His power knitted her skin together, fusing together the earthen element that made her body.

She reached up and felt that her wound had fully healed, leaving no trace. She smiled for a moment; satisfied her hurt had been healed.

"Thanks for that." She replied.

"Hey, that's alright, don't mention it!" Isaac replied, coyly smiling.

"We better be more careful as we go further in here." Kraden muttered, "There may be other creatures that have made their home in this abandoned Sanctum over the years."

After some more silent walking, they came across more monster inhabitants. Three rat like creatures, only larger and more dangerous looking, encountered them, squeaking at them in defiance. The three monsters rushed at them, but Isaac knocked them over with the power of his Psynergy, by causing an earth tremor beneath their feet and making them trip up, using a sizeable amount of his Psynergy.

Jenna whacked the one nearest to her with her wooden staff, causing all three to back of and Garet then made a flare of flames rise up from the ground, singing their furry coats. But it failed to really penetrate their defences, their bodies seemed to ward of the full power of Psynergy. Without warning, one of them lunged at Isaac, biting his leg before he kicked it off. In a fury, Jenna unleashed a blast of fire from her upraised wooden staff, completely incinerating them.

"Ho, ho, that got 'em!" Kraden cheered excitedly. He was enjoying this excitement?

"Remind me never to test your temper!" Isaac joked.

Jenna stamped her foot angrily. "Well, those stupid things deserved it. They have no right to make their homes in here!"

"Well, let's keep on moving!" Kraden suggested, and they all complied silently, after Isaac used up the last of his dwindling Psynergy supply to heal his leg.

They continued walking until they got to a very large room.

Several statues lined the walls, and the walls were carved into elaborate designs. Even the floor had changed from cold stone to smooth marble tiling. Isaac could feel the excitement growing in him. Was this the heart of Sol Sanctum?

The three Adepts halted at the entrance, but Kraden wandered into the centre of the impressive room, looking around slowly, taking in his surroundings. They were silent for moment until Garet broke the silence.

"What are you looking for, Kraden?" he asked, noting the old mans silence, "This is the most impressive room in the entire Sanctum that we've seen. Is it the one those two described to you?"

Kraden continued looking around, slightly puzzled. He thought for a while before saying "Hmm…those two mentioned something about a hidden passage leading deeper into the Sanctum."

"So they _did_ come in here!" Jenna exclaimed.

"Well, we don't know that for sure until we actually _see_ this hidden passage." Kraden replied slowly, paying more attention to the room's design than Jenna.

"But this _would_ be the heart of Sol Sanctum, right?" Garet asked, "I mean, look at it!"

"He's got a point." Isaac noted, "It's made much more elegantly. It's clearly meant to impress. This must be it." Kraden, however, said nothing. Suddenly, a new thought occurred to Isaac. If this was the heart of the sanctum, then what if it was trapped?

"Kraden, we shouldn't stay too long in here…" he began softly, voice full of caution, "What if there are traps in here?"

"We didn't even think of that!" Jenna exclaimed in realization, "We could have been killed!"

"Kraden, are you sure you're being careful enough here?" Garet moaned worriedly, "I don't want to be accidentally killed in here, or something."

"You can relax, children, there is nothing to worry about in here." The scholar replied. "This isn't the room they described. And, if I remember correctly, only the inner sanctum was actually trapped to prevent outsiders from entering, so we're quite safe in here." The three of them all let out a sigh of relief.

"In fact, I do believe this room is nothing more than a decoy."

"A decoy?" Isaac echoed.

"Yes, there is nothing here to suggest it is a room of any importance at all." The Alchemy Sage gestured around, "Although you may not know it, Sol Sanctum was built long ago in honour of the ancient sun god; Sol. Sol is in fact, in the ancient language, the literal translation of 'sun', through the ages, its pronunciation was altered to its current sound."

"Kraden, you're getting off-track again." Jenna reminded him.

"Ah, yes, indeed. My apologies. This Sanctum was built long ago during the Lost Age as a temple to honour the sun god Sol, and its counter-part, Luna, the moon god. Anyway, as you can see, there is nothing here to reflect the sun."

Isaac only now looked around and noticed that. There was in fact nothing here to honour anything at all.

"Hey, you're right. This room does seem kinda pointless, now that I think about it." Garet realised.

Isaac thought about things for a moment. "Kraden, you said that those two, Saturos and Menardi, mentioned a hidden passage in here somewhere."

Kraden nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I did. If there is a hidden passage, then maybe it leads to the actual inner sanctum, where those thieves actually were."

A secret passage? Isaac could feel a sense of curiosity grow in him as to what that might be, and what might be hidden in this inner sanctum. But then, there was probably a reason the passage was hidden. And that trap that Saturos and Menard had tripped three years ago... cautious doubt grew inside him. But the others seemed not to have felt such thoughts.

Garet took a stride forward, saying, "Well, if there is a secret passage, let's find it! That'll prove that they were in here!"

Everyone but Isaac agreed with his suggestion.

"Wait," Isaac's voice came from behind them, "Are you sure that's such a good idea? Uncovering the secret parts of the Sanctum?"

"Well, I still believe we need to find further proof that Saturos and Menardi have been in here." Kraden relied, "If we did find that passage, it would surely add a lot of weighting to our argument."

"Besides, I want to see what is in the secret passage!" Garet added.

"Come on, Isaac." Jenna pleaded, "We're only going to have a look!" How could he argue with her?

"Well, what if we set off a trap?" Isaac argued. He knew precisely what the trap did, and he didn't want to be responsible for a repeat of that storm from three years ago.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…" Garet admitted.

"We won't actually be entering." Kraden argued, "We'll just be having a look in to see if their description matches the actual inner sanctum. I'm sure we'll be quite safe if we don't actually enter."

"Well… I suppose you know what you're talking about…" Isaac sighed. He was just as excited at seeing the secrets as the others, but he couldn't help but feel a little cautious.

"Well, let's look around for this secret passage, then!" Jenna suggested.

With that, the group spread out through the room, investigating the room for anything that could have been the secret passage that Saturos and Menardi had mentioned.

Isaac noticed that Jenna was walking along one wall, feeling for any cracks in the rock. There were many statues lining the walls. Curious, Isaac investigated one of the statues, looking for anything that could have been a secret switch, but found nothing. A thought occurred to him.

The statues were large enough to have hidden a door big enough for a person to walk through. They appeared too heavy to be moved with normal strength. Isaac guessed that Psynergy would be the key.

"Hey, I think I've got an idea!" Isaac called out. The others in the room looked to him.

"The statues! There might be something hidden behind one of them!"

"Great idea, Isaac!" Kraden congratulated him.

"But how are we going to move them?" Jenna asked, "They look a little heavy."

"Leave that to me!" Garet boasted, "I'm the master of moving heavy objects!"

Garet immediately chose a statue at random and focused his Psynergy on it, his arm stretched out and hand open, as he used his mind to move it. When he moved it aside, it was just a brick wall.

"Keep searching!" Jenna called out, before running to one of the statues on the other end of the room.

Isaac looked to one of the right hand corner statues, and focused on that. He focused his mind, drawing on the power of Psynergy, and with the power of his mind emanating from his raised hand, moved the statue away on invisible flows of force.

When he moved it, it revealed a whole new room!

"Isaac's found it!" Kraden called out to Garet and Jenna, who were all the way on the other side of the room. They ran back and came through the door, where Isaac and Kraden were already standing.

The room was a perfect square and in the middle was a pattern of the sun on 4 large even tiles making a perfect square in the very centre of the room. At each corner of the sun symbol stood four statues of angels holding crystal balls and all staring intently at the centre of the sun.

"Clearly this is the mark of the sun, the emblem of Sol." Kraden called out excitedly, "This means that this must be the heart of Sol Sanctum. This is it! We've found it!" It's just as I imagined it would look like… which means that those two really were telling the truth!"

"So if this is the place they described, then…" Jenna began.

"They really were thieves!" Garet interrupted. "They came to rob the Sanctum! We've proved it!"

"We better go back and tell the Elders!" Jenna exclaimed.

Jenna and Garet quickly ran for the entrance before Isaac called out for them to stop. The both looked and noticed that Kraden hadn't moved, he was still staring into the centre of the room.

"Kraden, what're you doing?" Garet asked, "Don't you want to tell everyone what happened?"

"But… we're so close to the secrets of the Sanctum." he spoke softly to himself.

"Secrets? What secrets?" Jenna demanded.

"We've come all the way to the heart of Sol Sanctum." He said turning to them "To turn our backs on it and leave… we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to discover just what it is that is really in here. If we go now, will never find out what it was that those two wanted so badly. "

"So? Is it really okay for us to know?" Isaac asked curiously, "We found what we're looking for, should we really be snooping any further?"

"But it is only here in Sol Sanctum that we can discover the origins of Alchemy," He explained to them "As an Alchemy Sage, I couldn't possibly turn down the possibility to learn more about it. Just imagine what lost knowledge is here! It would be a waste not to…" He paused for a moment, to look at them, pleadingly, "well, what do you think? Shall we go a little further? Just for a quick look." He asked them, almost like a child begging to satisfy his curiosity.

"I don't know..." Isaac murmured, "If this is the room that those two described, then isn't that proof enough? What if that trap they triggered is in here?"

The thought horrified him. That trap had, according to Saturos and Menardi, unleashed that storm that had taken his father, Jenna's family.

"But there are such wonders waiting within that we will never get to see again!" Kraden virtually begged, "We won't touch anything! And the more evidence we have, the stronger our case against Saturos and Menardi!"

"If you put it that way we don't have much choice." Jenna shrugged, "I want to look further inside. We'll be careful. We won't trigger any traps."

"I'm with Kraden." Garet said quite openly "I want to look inside a bit further."

"Well... alright, I don't really have much choice then, do I?" Isaac sighed in defeat, "But please, don't touch anything. It is too dangerous." He stopped short of telling them about his memories of Saturos and Menardi's conversation that night three years ago. At least if he followed them, he might prevent anyone from rushing into anything dangerous.

"Really? Excellent, then it's decided; let's go just a bit further then." Kraden declared, brimming with joy and eager curiosity, before turning and sprinting down to the other side of the room where there was another doorway that Isaac had somehow missed before.

On the other side of it was another room just like the one they were in before, except this one had a picture of a crescent moon in the centre instead.

"Now this is interesting…" Kraden mused to himself aloud, "There's a symbol of the moon in the centre… this is clearly the emblem of Luna, the moon god. Or was it god_dess_? Never mind, doesn't matter. This must obviously symbolize night. But why? Why Luna? In _Sol_ Sanctum? A temple honouring the sun? Very puzzling…"

Isaac looked around carefully. There didn't seem to be anything here that could possibly be a trap. He walked around the room the room studying it carefully. There seemed to be some sort of inscriptions carved into the pillars.

"Hmm. I'm going to have to study these inscriptions for a bit." Kraden informed them, "I simply must see what I can learn from here." He kneeled right down next to one of the pillars, eagerly reading its unrecognisable inscriptions. "Hmm… let's see. This must translate as, here lies the Golden Power of the Sun… The Wise One's Stone… could that refer to…? There's more… the four keys… intruders… incur Sol's wrath…" He shifted his body, so as to read on the other side of the pillar. " 'Dulce et decorem est, pro patria mori'… hmm… is that not… but wait here it says 'Han del heron to'raken Caelestis, Doriender Sol Corishev, Callandor Aginoorin Exilbane, Asha'man Lucid, Melenkurion Skyweir.' If I'm not mistaken, that must say, 'here the hero received…"

"Kraden, is there anything actually useful there?" Jenna interrupted.

"Yeah, like what's actually in this Sanctum, or what traps we can expect?" Garet added.

"Well… nothing on traps, though I doubt the ancient were so foolish as to mention such things. But it does seem to hint at the power, as well as touching greatly on the history of this place. And a warning to those who might try to seize the power here. A warning against Alchemy."

"A warning? You mean like a mention of a trap?" Isaac questioned.

"Well, no. It seems to imply a trap… 'Sol's wrath', but it doesn't actually state anything. Only that, those who cannot change day into night and night into day will not receive the the power of the heavens… or was that stars? Such translating is always difficult. I must keep reading." He returned his spectacled gaze to the pillar's inscription, breathing translations under his breath softly.

The others looked around. This was obviously going to be a bit boring. There was nothing else around the room anywhere, apart from some stairs in the wall on the other side of the room that seemed to lead up.

"Kraden, these two rooms are empty…" Isaac pointed out, "are you sure they came here to steal anything?"

"Hmm… perhaps we should have a look further…" Kraden said slowly, not looking away from the inscriptions, "There may be something else up ahead."

"Alright, let's go have a look!" Garet exclaimed, moving for the stairs.

"Wait for me, I want to look too!" Jenna called out, following.

"Wait, don't do anything stupid!" Isaac told them, rushing to make sure he caught up with them and stop them from accidentally hurting themselves. If Jenna was harmed because of his carelessness, he knew that he'd never forgive himself. Or Garet for that matter.

Kraden was already too engrossed in the writings on the wall to notice anything else; he would probably be there for ages.

Isaac figured if they could find proof of the trap that those two had sprung, then that would definitely be all they needed. These rooms were probably useless. Upstairs must be where the secrets were hidden.

The stairs spiralled up, higher and deeper into the mountain and opened up in a room that Isaac was sure was directly above the previous room.

They were in a large chamber that seemed similar its twin below. It was the same size, had the same features, and was exactly the same except the symbol of Luna here this time had a small pool of water going around it. As he looked around, he noticed that the statues were also further away than in the previous room and where the statues should have been there was something that looked like switches, or buttons of some sort.

"Hey, maybe this is where the stuff those two want is." Garet said aloud, looking around.

"We should try and find it." Jenna suggested.

"Be careful, this is probably where those traps are, be on your guard." Isaac warned. He still felt thought they should go back, but now he also felt an urge to investigate further.

"Hey, I think I have an idea." Garet told them. He walked up to one of the statues.

"These statues seem to be out of place. Maybe if we put them back on these things in the ground, something might happen."

"That's a good idea! Let's try that!" Jenna agreed, forgetting Isaac's warning about traps, "maybe, then we'll see what it was those thieves were looking for."

Suddenly, the distant memory of a voice echoed in Isaac's mind.

_That switch must have been a trap._

"Wait, I'm not so sure that's..." Isaac started, but he was too late. Garet had slid the statue into its designated spot.

A tremor of Psynergy seemed to erupt, the place began to shake, and suddenly, sounds of thunder could be heard deeper in the Sanctum. They had activated the trap!

Without wasting a second, Isaac shifted the statue of the switch with his Psynergy and abruptly everything ceased, returned to normal.

Isaac helped Jenna up from where she had fallen when the rumbling began. It was then they heard the sound of Kraden's feet running up the stairway.

"Wait, stop! You're about to make a big mistake!" He called out as he reached the room, and then stopped as he realized the tremors had also ceased. He looked to the statues that were apparently the trap.

"This is a most interesting, albeit dangerous, mechanism you've found, Isaac." He wheezed as he looked at the statues that they had just been fooling with.

"Actually, it was Garet who moved it." The Earth Adept replied.

"Well, this is clearly the trap inside Sol Sanctum." Kraden noted.

"Yeah, we get this idea it might be…" Garet replied slowly.

"If you were in the Luna room, you would have understood. Lightning began to form, I was nearly hit." He told them sternly. "But never mind. You've done well. Finding this means you're looking in the right place. But clearly if you move just one statue you'll be caught in the sanctum's trap."

"Well, obviously!" Jenna snapped.

"You know, I think we'd better just leave all this alone." Isaac suggested, "I knew this would be dangerous."

Isaac knew he should have done something to stop them. True, he did want to see just what it was that those two were after, but not at this risk. But Kraden did seem to want to find out, so it must be alright.

"I was reading in the Luna room." the Alchemy Sage began, "It seems that the entrance to the Sanctum's heart is in the Sol room. But it can't be opened unless you unlock the statues door, it says, which is trapped"

"So, this is the way to unlock the door to Sol Sanctum's heart?" Isaac questioned, "Then we've found what we're looking for, why do we need to open it? It's best to leave it all there. Besides, we nearly killed ourselves with this trap, we don't want to set it off again, I don't think."

"But, Isaac, there's a way to disable the trap!" Kraden argued, "If we can figure it out, then maybe we can see this secret of Sol Sanctum for ourselves! Please, Isaac, I'm asking you to help us!"

"Yeah! Let's see what it is those two are after!" Garet agreed.

"I'm with Kraden, we're here now, so we should at least take the opportunity to look around." Jenna added.

"Well... if Kraden says we should do it, then maybe it's not so bad..." Isaac sighed, again letting them get their own way. It wasn't like Saturos and Menardi were going to come in and find them right in the middle of unlocking the Sanctum's mysteries.

"Come on, Isaac; let's see if we can't figure this out ourselves." Jenna encouraged him sweetly.

His teacher had asked them to find out the secret, his best friend wanted to see. And he couldn't very well say no to her, not now.

_Not that it would make any difference, anyway _He thought to himself.

"Alright, but be careful." he cautioned them, "Garet don't do anything without thinking about it first, please. We'll just have a look."

"Thank you, Isaac!" Jenna smiled at him, making him feel a little excited inside.

"Hey, I knew you'd come around!" Garet grinned proudly at his friend.

"I guess we should have a look at that other room, there." Kraden motioned towards the doorway on the side of the room, "It's just above the Sol Room, I believe."

Through the other door, they saw that it led to another room just like the Sol room beneath it, and like the previous room, had the extra of a small pool of water, but the four statues were still where they should be and the crystal balls they held were shining focused beams of light onto the sun symbol. However at the far end, it had a large statue of an angel holding a large dish, with the surface facing up. Next to it were two more statues like the others, angels holding crystal balls, and facing the statue with the dish.

Isaac looked around. Jenna started having a good look at the statue holding the dish, trying to puzzle out its mystery. Garet wandered around, quickly getting bored.

_Why are we even bothering _he thought to himself _we're already sure that they were here, why go any further? It's the secrets deep in Sol Sanctum that Vale's Elders are sworn to protect._

But already curiosity to see further welled up inside him, quelling any resistance to going further. Beside, Kraden surely knew what he was doing, and they could put everything back as it was, later.

"There isn't anything in here..." Garet complained.

"Do you think that maybe there is a way to disable the trap in here?" Jenna queried.

"Of course!" Kraden insisted, "The inscriptions on the walls cannot be mistaken! We must simply find out how."

"Are you sure you want to try that?" Isaac warned, all too aware of what they nearly unleashed before. "It could be dangerous."

"Hey, so long as we're ready to just move the statues straight off if anything happens, we should be alright!" Garet told him encouragingly. Isaac sighed doubtfully.

"It's dangerous messing around with things like this." He muttered.

"Come on Isaac, don't be so over cautious." Jenna scolded him, making him wince inward. For some reason, he always hated having her disappointed in him. That made it easier for her to make him do what she wanted, although he didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, all right. Just so long as you aren't too rash." He replied. She giggled in amusement, making him smile. That girl had too much control over his heart, he was sure of it.

"From what I've read on Sol Sanctum," Kraden began, "There was something that said _'The Secret of Sol Sanctum may only be unlocked, when the light of Sol shines once more, turning night into day, and yet day into night'._ It went something like that, only I think it was supposed to rhyme. Anyway, light must be the key to this puzzle."

"'Light shines once more?'", Garet repeated, "Well, let's see if maybe these switches can give us some!"

Without a moments more of notice, Garet began shifting on of the statues with his Psynergy. Isaac watched with baited breath as the statue shifted along the stone floor, and settled on the switch. Would this unleash the Sanctum's fury? His body tensed, ready to focus his Venus Psynergy and move the statue at a moments notice if need be.

The crystal orb that the statue held began to glow, and a focused beam of light hit the floor in front of the larger statue that held the dish. But nothing else happened.

Isaac sighed a breath of relief. It was okay.

"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Garet reassured his friend.

"Alright, so you were right." Isaac admitted, "You can't blame me for being overly cautious."

Jenna nudged him in the ribs.

"Are you gonna let him do all the puzzle solving here?" She asked slyly.

Isaac blushed slightly. Of course he wasn't going to let Garet take all the credit! He would show Jenna!

Raising his arm, Isaac focused his Psynergy and shifted the second stone statue onto the switch. Again the orb lit up and focused on the floor. But this time as the two beams merged, a hole began to appear in the floor in front of them.

"What the heck-?" Garet shot out.

"How did that hole appear in the ground" Jenna asked no one in particular.

"Of course! Now I remember reading something like this!" Kraden exclaimed in merriment, "_The joint light of Sol's angels shall… _Oh, confound it, I forget how it finishes!"

Isaac put his hand in through just to be sure it was real and he wasn't seeing things. His hand passed right through, it was real alright.

"Hmmm.... but now what?" Isaac mused.

The three Adepts stood in front of the hole with the larger statue opposite them. Isaac noticed Kraden have a closer look at the statue, he couldn't help but notice that the platform dish thing was just the right size for it to fit in.

"Hmm… now why would they put this hole here?" Kraden mused, "You know, that dish that the statue of the Goddess is holding looks about the right size to fit in the hole. If I'm not mistaken, this is a statue of Luna, or night."

"So what?" Garet asked, not getting what the scholar had in mind.

"Do you think we should try to put that whole statue in this hole?" Jenna asked.

"We could..." Kraden replied, stroking his grey beard thoughtfully, "It would certainly be the key to disabling the trap. It must be."

"But how would we take it out again?" Isaac questioned, "I mean, I'm still not sure that…"

"Isaac, come on!" Jenna scolded, "Do you want to prove that Saturos and Menardi were in here, or not?" If she talked to him like that, how could her really deny her? He was aware his heart was melting for her whims; he needed to get a grip on himself.

"Let's do this then!" Garet declared, and began pulling the statue towards them with his Psynergy, hand out raised. Isaac watched carefully. They might trigger the trap, but then they might see the very heart of Sol Sanctum, and prove that those thieves had been in here. Then they would become heroes. And his curiosity to see Sol Sanctum's secret was growing steadily.

The large statue slid into place, allowing the angels light to shine on it.

As they light from the angels glowed on it, the dish began to glow with the power of Psynergy. The Luna symbol on the dish began emitting light like daylight. Then they seemed to sense a change of… some sort in the… Psynergy flow of the room was the only accurate way to describe it.

At any rate, the sun symbol room that they were in hadn't changed and neither had the moon symbol room. Isaac had a good look around just to be sure. Nothing was any different. What had that done? Unless, maybe...

"We must have disabled the trap!" Kraden called out excitedly.

"If that the trap has been disabled, we can mess around with that statue puzzle thingy!" Garet chimed in.

"So, what do you think we should we do?" Jenna asked.

"Let's try to light them up like the other two statues!" Garet replied.

"All right, let's get them moving!" Jenna said impatiently and immediately began moving towards the room with the four deadly statues.

"Hey are you sure…" Isaac began, but then stopped short when he realized he was wasting his breath. All he could do was try and help them if something went wrong.

"Wait for me!" Kraden called out, "I simply must see this!"

Garet was the first to start shifting one of them. Isaac watched reluctantly, unsure if this was the best thing to be doing. They had already proven those two had been here by now, surely? And if the trap really was disabled, was that really such a good thing?

When Garet got the statue on there, they could see the crystal ball begin to glow. Once again, light shone out from it and onto one section of the crescent moon symbol. The light seemed to change the tile. That corner of Luna started to change shape. Now, it was different to the other three tiles, but Isaac couldn't yet tell what it was meant to be.

No lightning or rumbling... the trap had been disabled! Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.

"Quick, let's try and move the other ones." Jenna suggested. The three of them each chose one of the three remaining statues at random, and began shifting them onto the remaining switches. All three of the balls began to glow and focused beams of light targeted the three remaining corners of the Luna symbol. Slowly the stone carvings changed shape and began to form... a picture of the Sun. The Sol symbol!

Isaac look into the previous sun symbol room and seen that there was no longer any light coming from the angels crystal balls, and the sun symbol had changed into a crescent moon symbol. Sol into Luna. Day into Night.

"Well, it looks like we finally solved the puzzle." He said aloud.

"Hmm… Yes, but there's a doorway that's supposedly meant to open. If I remember correctly, this doorway is meant to lead right to the very heart of the Sanctum. This is where the true treasures lie and this treasure is what Vale's Elders are sworn to protect. And that doorway doesn't seem to be anywhere around here."

"So that's it then," Jenna said, "we've got all the proof that we need, let's go back to the village!"

"Wait," interrupted Garet "What about this doorway? We might not be able to find it, but what if those two, Saturos and Menardi, come back and they find it?"

Isaac had to admit that he had a good point.

"I'm sorry," Kraden replied with a shrug, "But we can't do much about that, now we must leave without finding it. Let's just hope those two don't find it before the Elders do and decide what has to be done. Although, I think that it would be unlikely that they do find it. I can't see it anywhere around here."

"So are we going to go back now?" Isaac asked, somewhat anxiously, "There's nothing more to do here. And those two won't be in town very much longer once the Elders have been informed about what we found in here."

"I suppose so," Kraden sighed dejectedly "We'll just have to leave fully exploring this place to the Elders." With that he turned to leave and went down the stairs. As they were walking, Isaac decided to ask Kraden something.

"Hey Kraden," he began, "What exactly could they be hiding down here that is so valuable? Do you have any idea?"

Kraden looked thoughtful for a moment, before replying, "I can't be certain but they must have hidden something very valuable, maybe even the very keys to Alchemy itself." He didn't explain any more, and when asked he just said that they probably wouldn't understand.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs the entered the bottom room with the Luna symbol in it. Except that now it was the Sol symbol.

"Those rooms must have had some affect down here as well!" Kraden cried out. "Let's have a little look around here before we go!" The others agreed, without saying much. This whole day into night thing had sort of lost its novelty and they weren't much interested anymore in the effects of this.

That was until they seen inside the lower sun symbol room. Except of course it was a moon symbol room now. It wasn't the symbol change however that fascinated them. It was the strange portal that now hung in the air above the symbol by the wall. A glowing circular, shimmering ring that shone bright white light, that must have surely been this "doorway" they had wanted to find. It was easily big enough for one of them to fit through it. They all stood in amazed silence.

"This is it!" Kraden breathed after a while "This is the entrance to the very heart of Sol Sanctum and Mount Aleph, to the very heart of Alchemy's power!"

"This is what they wanted to find!" Isaac murmured.

"What could be on the other side?" Jenna questioned no one in particular.

"Let's have a look!" Garet suggested.

"No, we shouldn't." Isaac warned facing his two friends "We don't know what could be on the other side and there are probably more traps. Besides, we found all the proof that we need, the village Elders will be able to decide what to do next. It's probably better to just leave those secrets here." Then Isaac turned to see Kraden standing right at the edge of the portal. He hadn't heard him move there.

"So close," the Alchemy Sage thought aloud "surely it wouldn't hurt just to have a quick look!" And with that he stepped into the portal and disappeared in a flash of brilliant white.

"So much for that 'don't go anywhere we shouldn't' stuff" Garet muttered under his breath.

"Well, we might as well follow him now that he's in there." Jenna suggested.

Jenna took a step towards the portal and vanished, seemingly sucked in to it by bright light. Garet stepped in after her, and vanished. Isaac was the last to enter. Now they were about to see the secret treasure of Sol Sanctum.

As he stepped in, everything turned a white and he felt all funny. For a moment he was completely unaware of anything, his senses could tell him nothing. Then everything went back to normal and he found himself standing on the other side of the portal.

They were in the heart of Sol Sanctum.

**A/N: **What!? He's gonna end it there?! Sorry, but this whole thing got WAY too long, so I had to cut it in half. That's right, half. If I had the two halves together, it would be twice as long, and you'd fall asleep before finishing. Blame it on Kraden, he talks too much.

Before you go, if anyone is interested is seeing some of my other work, read "good bye" at fictionpress, where I am also called Master of Reality. Sorry, another shameless plug!

Anyway, that's it from me, so review!


	4. Sanctum's Heart

**A/N:** Hello all, and welcome back to another exciting chapter of Golden Sun. Or something like that. Well, let's just get on with the review replies first.

**Review Replies**

**Spirit Icana: **Yes, I remember you too, now! Yes, I did take some mental notes down reading that, but I also took down notes reading a novelisation by Echokazul and another by Azul Eclipse (both since cancelled, neither updated in a year or more).

Yeah, I've been thinking of going back and completely reworking the first chapter, changing all the dialogue and stuff, but when I can. I'm glad you like all the detail and such. Yeah, "calm before the storm" is good, I don't want to just race in and stuff, I like to go into detail. Thanks for all your comments, though! I definitely plan to go this through right to the end (I have a few more chapter already written, being revised and stuff now), so hopefully real life doesn't get in the way. 90/100? Sounds like a good score, I'm proud! Hopefully I may be able to get a higher score in future, but we'll just have to see if I've worked hard enough to earn one.

**GoldenSunGeek:** Cool, I'm glad you don't mind Valeshipping! Yes, your chapter name was appreciated! And I'm also glad you liked my making it tougher to get in. I could have done more (probably should have) but laziness and overly long chapters made me decide not to. PS- Read your fic, you should have my review there now!

???: Ah, my mystery reviewer! :P Yeah, I already read most other novels on this site, a while ago, but I don't think I ever found a complete one (if there are any, please tell me!). Another non-mudshipper? Ah, well, just as well I'm going for Valeshipping then! Yeah, definitely too much mud on… why don't more people like Valeshipping?  Thanks for reviewing!

**Stormhammer: **Yay, someone liked my idea of inscriptions on the walls! :D There are a little more of that in this as well, though not much. Wow, I'm glad I have your full confidence. Hopefully, I can make it this long all the time, though some things will necessarily be shorter.

**K Rool: **Hero? Forever? Wow, thank you! I'm even more determined to finish now! But you did bring something to my attention… this IS heaps longer than most others. I mean, in three chapters I wrote as many words as some fics have in 10 chapters! Wow, this wil;l be long when it's finished.

**Cyan Light: **Glad you liked it! Wow, you're full of praise! Thanks!

Okay then, that ends the review replies (obviously). Sooo…. What's MoR done with this? A long detailed description of the Events in the Star room and Isaac and Garet's desperate escape form the Sanctum essentially. I was going to put in the meeting at the end, but I liked where I ended it a bit better.

When I wrote the dialogue, I really tried to show both points of view for antagonist and protagonist, through their words. After all, isn't Isaac's whole quest to stop Saturos and co more or less a big misunderstanding of intention? So I put in a lot of misunderstandings here. At least now, Sat and Men TRY to explain themselves (I mean, why wouldn't they?). Also, a few little references to destiny reaching out and changing the course of events.

Anything else? Umm… don't think so. So, just get there and start reading.

**Disclaimer:** To make things simple, MoR disclaims everything. Honestly, if you saw how little he owns, it would bring a tear to your eye. Or a mocking laugh to your lips depending on your personality. So yeah, GS isn't included in my meagre list of possessions.

**CHAPTER THREE**

**SANCTUM'S HEART**

Isaac saw that a large stone doorframe surrounded the portal here, with strange runes carved on it. They were in the centre of a large stone pillar, flat top high off the ground, perfectly round, in the massive circular room made of stone. The roof seemed to look like a dead black, dark sky with many chips in it that seemed to glow, looking a lot like stars in the sky, giving them dim light. All around the stone island, it was surrounded by a massive body of water. Everything seemed to stretch away for seemingly miles. He could barely make out the stone walls that were formed the same as the roof. He noticed that the walls and roof were in fact joined to make a massive dome around them.

Placed seemingly randomly in this deep, clear motionless water were stone pillars, which jutted majestically out of the water to the same height as the island they were on. Placed evenly around the central island were four larger stone pillars, each of which had a statue of some wise looking person holding a glowing orb of some sort. Each of the four orbs seemed to glow a different colour, one was red, another blue, the third orange and the last purple. The whole atmosphere of the room seemed to be tinged with an ethereal feel to the place. The air tingled at his skin, like this was the absolute centre of all the power that was in the world.

The sight mesmerized Isaac. He looked down and saw that the water was so deep that he couldn't see the bottom. If a man fell in, it would be impossible to climb out, as all the walls and pillar sides were sheerly vertical.

"This is so beautiful..." Jenna breathed quietly. Isaac agreed with her. He didn't know what to say, he was lost for words. The silence was... strangely perfect.

Isaac couldn't shake the surreal feeling the chamber was giving him. The calm water reflected the twilight like roof perfectly. The air was cool and damp, and all was silent.

"We are… I don't believe it…" Kraden murmured ahead of them, "… the true heart of the sanctum, beyond where those thieves were… this was where they were trying to get too…it even looks like we're in an ocean." He continued having a good look around.

"Hey, what's an ocean?" Garet asked curiously.

Isaac had heard tales of such a thing before, but he eagerly listened to what Kraden had to say just to be sure.

"The ocean is a body of endless water at the end of the world." He replied "You would not understand, no matter how I explained. You can't even see the other end of it. I guess I should show you someday."

Isaac couldn't imagine what such a thing would look like, but if it was anything as beautiful and awe inspiring as this, then he would surely love to see it.

Then he gazed out upon the four glowing orbs across the water that wasn't an ocean.

"I don't believe it! It's the Elemental Stars!" Kraden breathed, amazed, "They really exist! The legends were true after all! So that's what those two were after!"

"Those are the Elemental Stars?" Isaac asked, shocked. Here in Sol Sanctum? "I thought that they'd been lost."

"The old Clans of the Lost Age must've sealed them here to keep them safe, right?" Jenna guessed.

"Indeed, it would appear so." Kraden replied, "This is the secret of the sanctum the inscriptions spoke off. The Alchemic source of all the four elements. Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. From what I know, the four elemental stars contain the purified essence of each element, drawn from their respective lighthouses. I hardly dared believe that they were actually here! I had always assumed that the four off them were scattered, hidden by the Clans somewhere to keep them safe."

He turned to look at the yellowy glowing orb. "That must be the Venus Star, the elemental star of Earth."

He turned then to the blue glow, "Then that would be the Mercury Star, possessing the power of Waters many forms."

He then looked to the red glow, a look of excitement on his face, "And the Mars Star, containing the power of the Fire within!"

Finally he looked to the purple orb "And Jupiter Star, binding the wind's fury!"

"Calm down, Kraden, why are you getting so excited?" Jenna asked him, with a raised eyebrow. "There just… Elemental Stars."

"How can you stay calm in the face of such wonders!?" He cried at her "You're looking at the very source of all Alchemy! The keys to unlocking the seal!" He sure was passionate about his studies.

Isaac nodded. He remembered hearing him talk about some sort of stuff like this, although he didn't entirely understand it all.

The full power to control the elements to unleash Alchemy was right here in front of them! That's what those two were after! And they had found it!

"And of course, the Wise One's stone…" Kraden continued, "That must be what they were referring too, this confirms it. Or more specifically, the wisdom stone, The Stone of Sages. This object's power dominates everything. It can transmute crude matter into gold, even thwart death itself. It provides limitless power and eternal life. One who wields it holds all of Alchemy at their fingertips." He paused for a moment.

"You understand now don't you?" He asked them. They all nodded uncertainly. None of them had actually heard of this wisdom stone before.

"The modern studies of Alchemy began with the search for this very stone." He explained, "Although that was long ago." He hastened, "We are in a more enlightened age now, and we wish to study Alchemy purely for research and better understanding our world."

"I don't really get how it works," Jenna started "this wisdom stone. It has enormous power, right? But how powerful? I mean, what exactly can it do?"

"What can it do?" Kraden echoed, "It's power is beyond enormous. With a single gem of this single artefact, one could conquer the world! They could have the power to do anything, even destroy the world, as nearly happened in the Alchemy War, so many centuries ago" He paused for a moment to allow this very serious fact sink into their heads.

"Now perhaps you begin to understand." He said sternly, "That dangers and implications of such objects and their discovery. Of just what this means by those thieves attempting to obtain them."

Isaac gasped involuntarily. The full power of Alchemy condensed into one awesomely powerful object, the Stone of Sages.

"So this Stone of Sages, it's reformed when Alchemy is released, by these four Elemental Stars somehow releasing their power?" Isaac asked, guessing.

"Precisely." Kraden replied, "If the Elemental Stars are cast into their respective lighthouses, then the power released breaks the seal on Alchemy, bringing it back into the world, allowing all its possibilities once more, and the Stone of Sages will once more come into existence. No doubt that is what Saturos and Menardi are after. Limitless power and life, conquering or even destroying the world… I can see why the ancients may have wanted to seal such power away…" He trailed off and said no more, instead gazing out at the four glowing orbs.

"So what are we going to do now?" Jenna asked, "Just stand here looking at them?"

"No." Isaac answered immediately, "We have to get out of here, reseal the room and leave the Sanctum. We should tell the Elders right away and have those two banished forever." Wait, hadn't Sab said that there were four of them? Must have been two other unrelated travellers too. "This place is too dangerous, we should leave right away, we know now that they were here, and what they wanted."

"Nonsense!" Kraden scolded from his view point near the edge of the island, making everyone stop and look at him.

"What are you talking about, Kraden?" Garet asked, "I think Isaac might actually have a good point."

"We simply cannot leave the Stars here." Kraden said matter-of-factly. "We opened up the door and deactivated the traps of the Sanctum. The way to the Elemental Stars is now wide open and safe. If Saturos and Menardi return, they will have no trouble removing these objects; we must take them out of here and hide them for their own safety."

"You want us to actually take the Elemental Stars?" Isaac questioned incredulously, "But that would just be doing exactly what Saturos and Menardi would have. We'd be no better than they are."

"Yeah, I don't want to be accused of being a thief!" Jenna added, "If we hurry back to the Elders and tell them about this straight away, they can fix everything up before those thieves even have a chance to get back here."

"But what they said," Kraden replied, "seemed to imply that they would be coming back in here soon… what if they beat the Elders here?" He made a good point, but Isaac could think of a better reason for moving them now. Saturos and Menardi had shown themselves to be extremely powerful, if they found the way open, they could just crush the Elders with their powers.

"I think Kraden has a good point." Isaac declared, "Maybe we should just take these things, give them to the Elders so they can hide them somewhere and we should never speak of them again."

"What did you just say, Isaac?" Garet exclaimed, "First, you're reluctant to come in here and open up the place, now you want to take the Elemental Stars?"

"Well, I agree with him, someone should go out there and take them." Jenna nodded with a slight hint of a wry smile on her lips.

"Besides, this would be an excellent chance to study the source of Alchemy, a once in a lifetime opportunity." Kraden said, "No Alchemy Sage could turn down this opportunity. I must examine those Elemental Stars."

The old man gazed out longingly at the glowing orbs surrounding them, seeming so far away in the twilight room, his gaze running along the pillars sticking out of the reflective motionless water.

Even though the pillars seemed to be placed haphazardly, they were in fact positioned so that they would allow anyone to jump from one to another from the central island to any of the other four main larger pillars to reach the Stars, and from there jump to the other stars locations.

"But I should also read these first, just quickly." The scholar said. Then he turned to look at the stone door that surrounded the portal of light that they had used to get in here. Along the edges were inscribed ancient runes that Isaac assumed were in the same language as the inscriptions inside that other room, the Luna room. Or Sol room now.

"It says more here!" Kraden gasped, temporarily forgetting the Elemental Stars that he had wanted to move. "About the Golden Light of Sol… or at least, that's how I imagine it should translate. If I were to take this literally, including changing Sol to sun, the it would read the Light of the Golden… Hmm… but that wouldn't make sense, it must be referring to Sol, as in the God. Now I understand why it also has Luna in here, to change day into night and night into day! The sacred stars of the elements, cast into the heavens, so that the light of the Golden Sun shines forth, present the wise ones stone… that must mean Stone of Sages… to the victor of the battle of the dual wielders of the Golden Light of Sol, or maybe that should be… Hmm… is this meant to be some sort of prophecy?"

"Hey, Kraden, do you know what any of that means?" Garet asked.

"No, not really… though I cannot be too sure…" The scholar mumbled in reply, "Oh, why didn't I bring my note book with me to write this all down? Ah, it doesn't matter." He looked out once more to the Stars. "We've wasted too much time as it is. We must get those Stars out of here before Saturos and Menardi come back in here."

"You would have to be careful travelling across those columns to the Stars." Jenna noted, "It looks dangerous, you might have trouble balancing."

"But we must get those Stars out of here!" Kraden complained. "And I'm far too old and unfit to be jumping around like that! Maybe in my younger days I might have…"

Suddenly, Jenna got that cheeky, mischievous look on her face, that twinkle in her beautiful brown eyes that Isaac loved.

"Make the boys do it!" She said giggling, looking towards Isaac and Garet.

"Oh, Isaac and Garet?" Kraden began, "You two are fit and strong, you could do it! Would you mind?"

"You'd be glad to get those stars for him, right Isaac?" She asked looking to Isaac with a smile on her face and her chestnut brown eyes staring into his.

It seemed to have put the two boys in a bit of an uncomfortable position. But Isaac relinquished, "I'll do it." He said. He didn't want to think that Jenna though of him as a coward. Besides, they did need to get out of here with the stars. And his heart just wouldn't let him say no to her.

"Me too." Garet added, eager to appear just as brave, if not more so, than his friend.

"Thank you." Jenna and Kraden both said simultaneously, Jenna with a big smile on her lips as she stared at Isaac.

"You will need these to carry the Stars," Kraden said reaching into his pocket and retrieving four small, finely woven silver metallic bags from his pocket. He gave them to Isaac. "If what I know from my research about these Stars is correct, then the only safe way to carry them about will be with these."

"You got those from your cottage, right?" Isaac asked remembering how he'd quickly gone in there to get something before they set out for the Sanctum.

"What are those things?" Garet asked.

"They are made of finely woven threads of Mythril." Kraden explained. Mythril! Mythril was an incredibly rare and valuable material. Selling Mythril, someone could make a lot on those bags alone. How a humble scholar like Kraden had come by them was anyone's guess. He certainly couldn't have afforded them himself, maybe someone had actually given them to him. "Go fetch those Elemental Stars and put them into these bags. The Mythril will safely contain the power of the Stars."

Isaac took the bags, they felt cold and smooth in his clammy hands. He placed the Mythril bags in his pocket. Taking a deep breath, he leapt upon one of the stone pillars standing out from the main body of land. Garet quickly followed.

He and Garet hopped from pillar to pillar till they came to one of the larger ones containing the glowing orbs. Up close, Isaac could see that this was a statue of a kind, youthful face, yet wise looking that held a blue glowing orb in its hands.

The Mercury Star, Elemental Star of Water. Isaac dared not touch with his hands, he could almost feel the power of water within it, half expecting it too break apart and melt into the blue liquid before him. He levitated it with his Psynergy into one of the Mythril bags. Unconsciously, he was aware of the change in the aura of the room; its essence almost seemed somehow less stable inside.

"Hurry, retrieve the others as well!" Kraden called out to them. Isaac couldn't believe what he was doing; they were stealing sacred objects from Sol Sanctum! The Elders better believe that what they were doing was for the best.

Isaac and Garet headed to the statue with the orangey golden glow. Isaac couldn't help thinking to himself that this was dangerous. But already, the temptation to see and learn more and maybe prevent the robbery and become heroes, blocked out all reason in his head. Besides, Kraden would take good care of the Stars, not use their power. Not like what Saturos and Menardi would surely do. Just the look of them seemed to indicate they had evil intentions.

They came up to the Venus Star, the Earth Elemental Star. It was held in the hands of a wise looking bearded statue of a man, hard and resolute looking. Isaac touched it this time, felt the enormous power contained within of Earth Psynergy. It felt like a hard rock as he picked it up and placed it in a second Mythril bag, and again, he felt the aura change, as though the ethereal feel of the room knew what he was doing, and felt the loss.

Kraden was becoming ecstatic watching all this and Jenna was trying to calm him down. They quickly put the Star in one of the bags.

They then began hopping along to the next statue along the pillars. It wasn't anywhere nearly as hard as he thought it would be. Already, he was getting good at jumping along these things. Heck, he didn't even need Garet coming along with him.

They reached the next statue. This time the statue was a calm, free-spirited, yet again wise looking women with long flowing hair, calmly holding the purple orb in her hands. The Elemental Star of Wind. The Jupiter Star. He didn't want to touch it, the wind supposedly held some sort of elemental superiority over earth, perhaps its pure power and essence within would harm him by touch alone. To his sense, it almost seemed as though it was pure air before him, no solid whatsoever, seeming real only as an illusion.

Using his Psynergy, Garet had just taken it up for Isaac and put it into the third Mythril bag when things suddenly went wrong.

They felt a change in the atmosphere of the room. It was no longer so peaceful. When he took the other two stars, it had changed similarly, but he only now just noticed it. He wondered if the others also noticed it.

He turned to his friends to show them that they'd got it, but stopped suddenly and gasped in horror.

Two mysterious figures holding their friends hostage. Two familiar people.

One in blue armour with a similar colour cape with long blue hair. And another with long, bright blonde hair and a magenta dress. It was a man and a woman, glowing brightly with the blue aura of Psynergy.

Saturos and Menardi.

Saturos forced Jenna into a position on her knees with her hands behind her back, his sword at her neck. Menardi did the same with Kraden. She placed the sharp blade of a large dangerous looking battle scythe at his neck.

Jenna and Kraden sat there, trapped between the two powerful and menacing Adepts. Then Saturos turned to face Isaac and Garet standing there on that pillar petrified. They were no warriors; there was nothing they could do to stop them now. If only they'd had more time to practice with their powers, to hold more Psynergy, they might have been able to defend themselves, but right now it was hopeless.

"I should have known they'd see us before getting the last one." Saturos muttered, his words echoing around the chamber, amplifying the volume.

"Well, we didn't have any other choice _but_ to come in here." Menardi spoke through clenched teeth.

"You're here to steal the Elemental Stars!" Kraden cried out angrily, "You can't have them!"

"Master Kraden, are you calling us thieves?" Saturos asked, sounding insulted, "Surely someone like you must know that this is no mere petty theft, that there is good need to do this, justifying our actions."

"There is no reason to give you those Elemental Stars!" Jenna called out, "You aren't getting them!"

"You are in no position to say such things right now. Besides, you stole our information to get here, didn't you?" Menardi asked menacingly, trying to implicate her of being the more devious. "And here you are trying to steal the very Stars yourself for whatever reason. You're quite a hypocrite, girl."

"Don't call me girl!" Jenna snapped back, "My name is Jenna!"

"That really isn't important." Saturos shrugged, "We just need those Elemental Stars."

The two antagonists had them thoroughly trapped and seemed somewhat pleased with themselves. Isaac and Garet tried to refrain from doing anything that might attract their attention, although any fool could have seen them standing there petrified.

But Jenna refused to let her captors know she was scared, putting on a brave face.

"And just what do you plan to do with us?" Jenna asked softly, although the echoes of the chamber amplified her words loud enough for Isaac to hear.

"They'll probably kill us once they're done with us!" Kraden said, sounding disgusted by their actions.

"And who are you to accuse us such things?" Menardi questioned, insulted

"You don't even know us, and yet you still seem quite sure of what we want and what we will do." Saturos added, "That's rather arrogant of you, isn't it?"

"Let them go!" Isaac called out suddenly across the room, his yell echoing loudly across the dome and mirror like water, still reflecting the twilight roof. "If you hurt her, I mean them, then…" he suddenly realised the foolishness of such an attempted threat, but an idea suddenly occurred to him, "I'll drop the Elemental Stars down here and you'll never get them!" He held the three full Mythril bags over the edge, above the water that almost looked as though it contained the very roof itself, mirroring Isaac's hand holding the silver bags.

"Yeah, you won't get anything from us!" Garet called out, "If you hurt either of them…"

"Relax…" A mysterious voice suddenly said, "They will not be hurt."

It was then that a strange masked figure appeared out of the portal. It seemed sound could travel through there as well as matter.

"That was our agreement, wasn't it?" The newcomer asked, directing his words to Saturos.

This strange man wore a weird wooden mask, coloured in blue, green and copper paints, with two holes for his eyes. He had long brown hair, tied in a ponytail at the back and was of average hight. His clothing was almost entirely green, green top and green cloak. He also had a sword buckled to his belt at his side. His voice sounded somehow vaguely familiar.

"We'll have to see how well these two cooperate." Saturos stated, glancing warily at the two prisoners.

"These two will not be harmed if you hand over the Elemental Stars." Menardi called out calmly to Isaac and Garet, as though to reassure the newcomer, "Is that enough? Can you accept that?"

Saturos also turned to face Isaac and Garet abruptly.

"If you want to save you friends here, then give us the Elemental Stars, and everyone will be fine." He told them.

"We don't want to have to hurt anyone here" Menardi threatened, "So just give us those Elemental Stars and everyone gets what they want."

"No way!" Isaac called out defensively, "You're not having them!" Could he really risk Jenna's life like this, trying to do the right thing? He didn't really like the idea of it, but then, did he really want to hand over the keys of power to these two?"

"Excellent, Isaac!" Kraden called out "Don't let them get the Elemental Stars! That power must not be unleashed."

"Why would you deny us?" Saturos asked them, positioning his sword closer to Jenna's throat, forcing her to move back, "Don't you want your friends to be safe? Don't you want to see everyone in Vale, in the entire world safe? Just imagine, having the world crumble and be destroyed by forces beyond your control, watching your doom creep ever closer as everyone you've ever cared for is trapped in conditions they can barely survive in. Do you want to see each and every one of your friends, family and fellow villagers die?!" His voice seemed to be filled with an odd passion as he spoke this threat, but he paused momentarily and calmed himself, "Give us the Stars, and we can ensure that this never happens. If we get those Stars, then no-one in Vale will be harmed. We can save you if you'll just cooperate. I don't want to have to hurt these two."

Such powerful words could be nothing more than a threat. But what could he and Garet do? If they didn't give them the Stars, then Saturos, Menardi and their new friend would destroy Vale with their Psynergy. He didn't want to be blackmailed by threats, but still he didn't want to see Jenna killed by not giving them the Stars. He hesitated, unable to reply.

"You can't scare us!" Garet scoffed, "The people of Vale won't be killed by you so easily!"

Saturos said nothing in reply to Garet, merely positioned his sword blade closer to Jenna's neck, touching her skin, and Isaac could see the fear in her eyes, completely unable to defend herself and seeing that she might now actually die.

Abruptly, the unnamed, masked warrior tensed and stepped closer to her, gripping the sword at his sword tightly, gazing at Isaac almost pleadingly.

"Please… you have to do this Is-… I need you to do this." The man said from behind his mask. Jenna seemed to almost writhe in fear, she was powerless to defend herself.

The sight sickened Isaac. Not Jenna! He couldn't let them hurt her! It was all he could do not to shout out at them, not to rush over and defend her. Not that he would have been capable of doing so any way. He had no weapon and he was not strong enough Psynergetically.

"We must unleash Alchemy. Weyard needs it." Menardi stated simply. "Do this to save the world from destruction. Don't you understand about what Alchemy does to the world?" Isaac couldn't believe that preposterous lie he was hearing. Did they honestly expect him to believe them?

Fortunately Garet spoke up for him. He couldn't have said anything reasonable with the way he was feeling right now.

"Oh, we know well enough what releasing Alchemy will do to the world." Garet replied.

Menardi seemed slightly relieved. "Then maybe we can work this out reasonably. Why don't you want to see Alchemy released once more?"

"Because it's a dangerous power that can destroy the world. Kraden even says so." Garet replied. Menardi looked to the scholar kneeling before her, held by her scythe blade.

"Even he is ignorant on some matters." She sighed, "Okay, we'll make this simple. Just hand over the Stars and your friends can be released unharmed."

"Please, you have to do this." The masked man pleaded.

"Do we have a deal?" Saturos asked.

"What guarantee do we have once we've given you the Elemental Stars?" Isaac called out to them, "How do we know you won't just take them, and hurt our friends anyway? I don't see any reason why we should trust you!"

"Guarantee?" Menardi pondered aloud, "So you don't trust us? Fine, then you will need to hear it from someone that you do trust…" She hesitated a moment, then turned to the masked man. "You will have to remove your mask, in order to convince them, though."

The masked man, who was so calm before, suddenly looked very nervous. "But… that means…" he stammered, taking a step back.

"Yes, that would be a good idea." Saturos spoke softly, turning to Menardi, "Surely, they will believe him." He sighed, and then turned to the masked man, "Please, under the circumstances, we have little choice."

The masked man remained motionless, clearly reluctant to reveal his features. What was he hiding? Why was he ashamed to show them? What sort of guarantee was this?

Saturos faced the masked man, looking at him eye-to-eye for a moment, then ordered, "Felix! Remove your mask!"

The masked man seemed reluctant to obey, hands rising up, only to pause just inches from his mask. Felix?

"What's wrong, Felix?" Menardi asked the masked man, Felix, as he paused in taking it off, "Don't you want them to feel safe?" Isaac could have sworn she almost sounded sympathetic.

"Ok then, I'll do it!" Felix suddenly announced, "I'll take of the stupid mask!"

He turned away from them, as though he didn't want them to see. The man paused momentarily, then his hands moved, came back down with the mask. Then he finally turned to see them face to face.

It was the familiar face of none other than, Jenna's older brother Felix! Isaac gasped. It couldn't be possible! He had seen him _die_ three years ago!

He looked a little older, his hair was longer, and styled differently, but it was Felix, their former friend, without a doubt.

Jenna was gob smacked. "I-its not possible…" She stammered, trailing off with tears forming in her eyes. "I saw you die! You can't be my brother!"

"I'm sorry, Jenna." Felix apologised, "It was a miracle I survived that day… these two saved me." He motioned to Saturos and Menardi. "They found me floating in the river, and saved my life. I've been with them ever since. I've been through a lot, and learned even more."

"But why?" Jenna asked, her voice choking on sadness, "Why did you leave me all alone? Why didn't you come back?" She then glared at her captors with more hate in her eyes then Isaac had ever seen, "Why are you with _THEM?!_ What's wrong with you?!"

"Jenna…" Felix started, trying to comfort her and explain.

"You're supposed to be my brother!" She screamed out, obviously very hurt, "I thought you were dead! You lied to me! You're a traitor! You-" Her words were cut off as Saturos clamped his hand over here mouth, then he winced as she bit him on his palm, but still didn't let go.

"We have to save this teary reunion for later." Saturos told them softly, although Isaac could still hear them over the infinite silence of the chamber.

"That's right, we must get the Elemental Stars first." Menardi added, leaving Jenna to sob into Saturos' hands, and Felix standing behind her uncomfortably.

"Is this acceptable?" Saturos called out to Isaac and Garet, "Felix is one of us and he would never allow us to harm you, or his sister."

"Please, you have to do it, Isaac." Felix called out, "There's a lot you don't know about Alchemy, it's too dangerous to leave it sealed away." Felix didn't sound like he was lying, but then, how well did they even know him any more? It seemed he had been brainwashed into believing whatever Saturos and Menardi had told him. But still, if he was partnered with these two, then surely they must cooperate with one another? Maybe Felix would be true to his word and keep Jenna safe, as well as Kraden. But did that necessarily guarantee the safety of the rest of Vale?

Garet turned to Isaac "We don't have any choice. Do you think we should just give them the Stars?" He asked, not wanting to be the one to make the fateful decision.

Isaac thought for a moment. What could they do? Saturos and Menardi following them in there, Felix alive again. And Jenna taken hostage. Kraden too. And there was no way they could possibly challenge the two of them. What _could_ they do? He just couldn't leave Jenna with them, _couldn't_!

Isaac sighed dejectedly. "Yes, we don't seem to have any other choice."

Isaac just wanted Jenna to be safe. He didn't want another of his friends dead, especially her of all people.

"I guess I should just take the stars over to them." Garet sighed.

"No, I'll do it." Isaac replied. Carrying the three full Mythril bags, Isaac headed over to the antagonists over the path of tall pillars. He got about halfway there, on top one of the larger pillars, when suddenly a burst of white, shimmering Psynergy appeared in front of him and a man appeared out of nowhere. A man with long, shoulder length blue hair with blue armour and cape. Isaac stepped back and nearly fell off.

The first moment Isaac saw him, he felt almost sure of something. He didn't know this man, nor had he ever seen him, but he had a bad feeling about him

"Will you please permit me to take these Elemental Stars?" The newcomer asked in a calm, nonchalant manner. Of course, this was the fourth member of Saturos' party.

"Alex, you're late!" Saturos called out surprised. "Alex is another one of our companions." He explained to a confused and shocked Isaac, "Hand the Stars to him."

The blue man, Alex, took the three silvery metal bags from Isaac before he had a chance to react. It felt like a moment of destiny had passed. Alex looked at the three Elemental Stars with a slight look of disappointment.

He then calmly said, "I'm afraid I must apologize in advance, for you will need to bring us the remaining Elemental Star as well."

Suddenly his body was filled with Psynergy, and a strange weave that Isaac had never seen before, nor could he comprehend, wrapped around his body and Alex hovered up into the air!

_That's impossible!_ Isaac thought to himself, _No-one can fly! _

Even the Elders say that it's impossible to do with Psynergy! Just like it is to teleport…

"Wait a second!" Isaac called out. Alex had floated halfway back and had his back turned to Isaac. He turned around in mid air to face him, hovering where he was over the still water, midway between Isaac and Saturos.

"We gave you the three Stars. We did our part, now do yours." Isaac demanded.

"Oh, did you not understand me?" Alex asked in mock surprise. "Let me repeat myself. Retrieve the last Star, and give it to us."

"The agreement was that if we gave the Stars we had, then you'd set Jenna and Kraden free!" Isaac called out to Saturos.

"That's right, we aren't doing anything until they're free!" Garet called out to support Isaac.

"No, you must have misunderstood." Saturos sighed, shaking his head, "We want you to bring us ALL the elemental stars."

"Stop grumbling and bring us the last Star." Menardi ordered impatiently, "If we really have to motivate you…" She pressed her scythe blade closer to Kraden's neck.

"Fine." Isaac sighed, defeated, "We'll get you the last one." He had been sort of hoping that maybe they might leave with only three and not realize they had missed one. Obviously it had been a fool's hope.

"I must thank you for you cooperation." Alex said smoothly, slightly smiling, "We'll be waiting for the rest." Isaac felt like punching the calm, arrogant jerk in the face. Alex floated back to where Saturos and the others were and landed. Saturos ordered him to hand over the Stars and he did without a fuss.

Isaac hopped over the tall pillars back over to Garet, but didn't say anything. They both looked to where the last Star was, the fiery red glow of the Mars Star. The Elemental Star of Fire.

"This isn't what I had in mind when we came in here." Garet sighed.

"We have to do something to save Jenna… and Kraden." Isaac replied.

They nodded to each other and hopped across the pillars to the final Star without another word. They knew what had to be done. This one was held in the hands of a determined, violent looking statue, yet also wise and controlled looking. Isaac reached out with his Psynergy and placed it into his bag. He could feel the intense heat of fire radiating out from it.

And that was when everything started to go haywire. The peaceful aura of the room was shattered as something that seemed similar, but different to, the statue trap was activated.

The whole chamber started to shake and heat up as bits of rock fell from the roof.

Bits of the roof's stone came crashing down nearby, the starry night sky effect ruined, and intense heat hitting them from the gaps. Huge cracks appeared in the dome's walls. Isaac was forced to his knees by the intense shaking of the room.

Several of the path pillars collapsed, cutting of Isaac and Garet's only escape. The water that had flooded the chamber before now suddenly began to bubble and boil, as steam came up and began to block his view of Jenna.

_Please let her be safe!_ He thought.

As the water boiled away, it was replaced by red-hot lava flowing up from cracks in the ground. Psynergy seemed to erratically blast everywhere in the air, as though some crazed being had released it with a mind of its own.

"What's happening?!" Menardi screamed out. For the first time she sounded afraid. "I thought those kids had deactivated the trap!"

"No! Not again!" Saturos called out, also fearing what had happened. "It's all going wrong! Just like three years ago!"

"We should have anticipated another trap in the star room." Alex said, somewhat unnaturally calmly given the situation.

Suddenly Isaac, and every other Adept in the room felt an enormous feel of Psynergetic power appear somewhere off to the side of the room

"Get off me!" Jenna shrieked, as she struggled to free herself, but Saturos regained control, and clamped his hand once more over her mouth. Isaac peered through the rising and ever thickening steam to where he felt this sudden new Psynergy source.

"No, I thought that was just a myth!" Saturos called out in disbelief.

They were looking at what appeared to be a round rock floating in the air halfway between themselves and Isaac and Garet. But it was overflowing with Psynergy! A huge power radiating form it as it hovered there above the glowing magma, rocks that fell near it breaking apart and vanishing.

"What is that thing?!" Garet breathed, "Is it that Sage Stone thing Kraden was talking about?"

"Uh, I don't think so." Isaac confessed. Although he had an idea... could it be...?

"Could that be… the Wise One?" Kraden was heard asking himself aloud.

"Such power…" Alex exclaimed clearly impressed, but not afraid, "Incredible!"

Suddenly, the front part of it opened up to reveal… an eye! It looked around at them slowly, unconcerned about the events transpiring, its gaze seeming to penetrate their very souls. Such an awesome presence and power... it couldn't be anything else but the Wise One! The legendary guardian of the Elemental Stars, supposedly the very being that gave the first Elders of Vale their teachings.

"This doesn't look good." Felix spoke nervously, afraid, "Let's just get out of here!"

"But we need the Mars Star." Menardi exclaimed determinedly, looking over to Isaac and Garet, "We can't leave it behind!"

"Are you crazy?!" Isaac replied, sounding even more shocked, "Well, I'm not going to go against the Wise One!" He threw the Mars Star to the ground, not wanting to incur the powerful being's wrath. The Star rolled towards the edge, towards the rising lava but, as though by a strange twist of fate, it seemed to stop rolling before making it.

_I would have thought that would have made it to the edge!_ Isaac thought to himself, but he dared not touch it again, with the power of the Wise One so near. Saturos clutched at the three bags containing the Stars in his hand tightly. Well, Isaac was more than glad to let that fool deal with the awesome power of the Elemental Star guardian.

"I agree with Felix." Alex stated, nodding to his brown haired companion, "We are no match for the guardian, we must leave immediately! The Mars Star will have to wait for another day."

"But what about Isaac and Garet?" Jenna cried out, looking over to them, "You can't just leave them here! Somebody help them!"

Most of the water had evaporated by now, and Isaac was beginning to be able to see them through the now thinning fog of steam.

Saturos looked over to them, huddled on the ground. Isaac couldn't do anything. They were trapped on this platform, already it was beginning to crumble beneath them. Eventually they would be swallowed by the rising level of lava and the sinking platform.

"Forget about them." Saturos replied decisively, looking over to Jenna, then Felix, "They won't make it out alive."

"But, Saturos," Menardi expressed in a concerned voice, "We shouldn't be taking chances… remember last time, when they should have died?"

"They do seem to have a bit of luck in staying alive..." Saturos said nodding, with a sigh, "What do you suggest we do?"

The group was silent for a moment, as the room continued to crumble about them, the rumbles over bearing Isaacs ears. The Wise One looked around at them still, seemingly piercing their souls and looking into their minds, as if trying to decide what needed to be done. Perhaps that was what it was doing. Still, it did nothing for the moment.

Then the blue haired man called Alex spoke up.

"We take this 'Jenna' with us," he spoke up steadily, but quickly, indicating the red haired girl, "If they survive and escape, they will want her back. And if they want her they back, they will have to give us the Star." He finished calmly, looking over to where Isaac and Garet stood, with the item in question by his feet. Hadn't it been further away before? Must have rolled back.

"Regardless, Kraden must come with us." Saturos declared, "He is too valuable too lose."

"Alex," Felix asked, sounding like he was holding back suppressed anger, "You can't do this to my sister!" Then to Saturos, "We made a promise!"

"Conditions have changed since we made that promise." Was all Alex stated, simply.

"Jenna's not any part of this." Felix retaliated defensively, "I won't let you hurt her!"

Kraden stepped forward towards them, away from Jenna, and faced Saturos squarely.

"Do what you want with me," He told the warrior bravely, "But please, just let Jenna go!"

Jenna's eye lit up at this, in shock surprise.

"Your bravery speaks well of you, old man," Saturos replied, shaking his head, "But you cannot help Jenna now."

"If we leave Jenna, she will die," Menardi told Felix gently, "Is that what you want, Felix?"

Explosions rocked the chamber, parts of the ceiling crashed near to where the group was standing and the heat from the rising lava began to get uncomfortable.

Finally one of them had the sense to pay attention to the crumbling chamber.

"We should get out of here now." Alex suggested in calm hurry.

"Felix…" Jenna began in a strained voice, tears running down her face, as though pleading for him not to do this.

The Wise One began to stare at them intently, its omnipresent gaze seeming to pierce into their hearts desire. Even to Isaac's gaze, he could tell to power of the weight of its stare. Was it going to do something soon?

"Everyone, get out of here _now!_" Saturos yelled.

Menardi dragged Jenna towards the portal by her arm, Jenna following somewhat reluctantly. Felix looked on, seeming as though he was holding back his anger.

"Isaac! Garet!" Jenna called out desperately, before being pushed in, "Please, don't die!"

And with that she vanished in a flash of white light through the portal, along with her blonder haired evil captor, Menardi.

Felix went through straight after, disappearing likewise from the chamber. Then Saturos entered with Kraden, who looked as though he might have tried to say something before entering, in tow. The two of them disappeared in a flash of light, sucked into the glowing portal.

Finally Alex strode casually to the portal. Before entering, he turned to face where Isaac and Garet were trapped. He looked at the Mythril bag intently for a moment, a look of longing in his aqua blue eyes.

"The Mars Star…" He spoke softly, "It's a pity I have to leave it with you, but perhaps we'll be seeing it again someday." Then he to entered and disappeared, leaving Isaac and Garet trapped on their little island, surrounded by the collapsing of the chamber and their own imminent deaths.

The Wise One continued floating there, staring into the portal unblinking, unmoving, as tough it were trying to follow where they went with its focused eyesight alone.

Isaac and Garet sat on the crumbling platform stupefied, unable to say or do anything.

He sat there as powerful plums of lava shot up around them, huge chunks of rock falling from the ceiling into the fiery red liquid. The rumbling began to lessen. But still, parts of the chamber broke apart, pillars falling to pieces and being swallowed by the enveloping magma.

A terrible swirl of emotions went through his mind as he stared at the last place he had seen Jenna. The last place he probably ever would see her. She was gone now. And they were going to die, there was no way out now, what could they use the Mars Star for?

He didn't know what to think. He was so glad that she was safe; at least she of the three of them would live. But she had been kidnapped by those who had killed her parents... and he had never even told her that. He had never even told her how he felt about her, he had been to shy. What an idiot he had been.

And Felix... how could that be? He heard what had happened... but it seemed unimaginable. He was with them now! But why? Why was he doing this? Why had he seemed so reluctant to reveal himself? What was he doing with Saturos and Menardi?

Questions raced through his head as everything around the two boys collapsed. Neither said anything for a while.

Only now was he beginning to realise all his mistakes and regrets. They said your life flashed before your eyes before you died, but that didn't occur now. He just went over questions and regrets in his mind.

"Well… that kind of worked out badly, didn't it?" Garet said suddenly, breaking the silence between them, though he had to speak up over the din of rumbling and exploding.

That had to be the biggest understatement in the entire history of Weyard.

"And Jenna's gone." Isaac muttered, hanging his head, "I wish we could have saved her somehow… we messed up big time and I'm wishing that there was something that we could do to fix things up. I only wish we could have at the very least saved Jenna. But then, being with us wouldn't help, would it? At least they will live with Saturos and his party."

"I don't know, Isaac… Garet answered after a brief pause, "Jenna and Kraden might be alright. Felix is with them."

"Felix did say he wouldn't let them hurt her... or Kraden." Isaac muttered, "But if he's willing to betray his people like that, then I don't know how far we can trust him to help the two of them."

Isaac looked around at the room. The room was only barely holding together, the rising lava was nearly at their level, casting a dreadful red glow upon the room. Still, the room rumbled and bits of rock, collapsed. But it didn't seem like they were going to be harmed just yet. The only problem was they had lost any source of escape. Many of the pillar paths had already collapsed. In fact, now he could see that the portal they had entered with had vanished, the stone door about it collapsed.

There seemed nothing more to do but sit there and wait to die. He'd never thought he'd go this way. He was too young to have even imagined dying at all!

Suddenly they noticed that the large floating rock with the eyeball had appeared right next to them with out their noticing. The Wise One. The guardian of the Elemental Stars. Well, not much of a guardian. All it had done was sit and watch. Why?

_Why are you standing there? _A loud authorative, yet wise and patient voice seemed to speak to them in there minds. From where they couldn't guess, but they heard loud and clear. _This place has become dangerous._ _The volcano will soon erupt. This is the final trap set in place, the power of the Elemental Stars held it in place. Now, without them, the volcano will erupt. I cannot hold back the power of Mount Aleph for very long. You must leave this place._

The eye seemed to focus then on Isaac.

_Take up the Elemental Star._ It ordered, that voice within his mind commanding obedience. Isaac picked up the smooth spherical, red glass orb from the ground where he has dropped it. It no longer seemed to radiate the heat and power it had before. It seemed now just like a smooth gem.

The Wise One seemed to concentrate on it for a moment, its awesome amount of Psynergy weaving itself around the star. The Mars Star seemed to glow warm in Isaac's hand for a moment, he could feel his body tingling with a warm, golden glowing feeling.

_Return it to its bag. _It then commanded, ceasing it's concentration of power. Isaac slipped the once again cold crystal orb back into the silvery metallic bag, puzzled as to why the Wise One wanted to look at it in the first place.

_The Elemental Stars are… moving away from here. _It spoke into Isaac's thoughts.

_Without the power of the Elemental Stars to contain it, the magma flows freely once again and this chamber is collapsing._ _There will be no chamber for the Elemental Stars to return to. The world will be exposed to the threat of Alchemy._

"Alchemy? Exposed?" Garet questioned.

"But how? They only got three of the Stars!" Isaac protested.

_You still possess the fourth Star. _The Wise One explained. _With this, and the others, destiny will ensure that Alchemy will become a potential threat once again. If the Elemental Stars ignite the flames of the four lighthouses, that power will be released. As long as the four lighthouses remain unlit…the world will be safe from this threat._

"But… the Mars Star isn't going anywhere… it's stuck here." Isaac protested. "Without it, how exactly can Alchmey-"

But then the collapsing of the chamber began to get worse, interrupting him. Huge plumes of lava and flame exploded into the air, large parts of the roof fell into the sea of magma, and the platform they stood began to crumble apart under their feet. There wasn't much time.

_You must flee, now! _The Wise One told them, it's omnipresent, powerful voice now filled with panic. _You cannot die here, nor can the Mars Star remain in this room. You must leave, along with it._

"But, how?" Garet asked, referring to the missing pathway.

"We're trapped here!" Isaac called out to the floating eyeball rock.

_Ah. I see. I will help you. _It replied. Then it focused its Psynergy on them, and Isaac felt bright white light envelope them. Everything around him vanished in the light.

Slowly the white light faded and everything returned to normal. They were in the cold blue stone chamber that had held the portal into the Elemental Star Chamber. The shimmering portal had vanished now. All about them, cracks were appearing in the walls, and dust fell from the ceiling. The massive tremors to the floor told Isaac that the whole of Sol Sanctum was collapsing in the eruption.

"That thing saved us!" Garet breathed in shock.

"Yes, it looks like it…" Isaac replied, "Well, almost."

"Yeah, right!" Garet responded, noting their surroundings, "Let's get out of here!"

They immediately began running for the entrance of Sol Sanctum.

As they ran, the tremors in the earth continued, rocky debris blocking their path. They ran, jumped, skidded and did everything that they could to avoid the collapsed obstacles that lay strewn in their path.

As they ran down an exceptionally long hallway, Isaac noticed up ahead that the roof was slowly breaking apart and collapsing. If it fell, they would be trapped!

Isaac reached out with his Psynergy, connecting his mind with the stone that the sinking roof was made of. It slowly halted, held in place only barely by Isaac's strained effort. He couldn't keep this up for more than a few seconds. Garet ran through the gap, needing to duck his head below the roof. Giving up his strained hold upon the stone, Isaac leapt through only just in time to avoid the heavy earth crushing him. He had virtually exhausted himself with that effort.

The two boys raced through the collapsing corridors, shattered statues, lying on their sides on the floor in the rooms they passed through.

Thick dust permeated the air; Isaac continually coughed on the air he breathed. They were just guessing the way they went, neither one of them could remember the route they had taken with Kraden. But somehow, as though by a twist of destiny or by some sort of guide, they were always making the right choices.

"There are huge amounts of fire and lava coming up around us." Garet told his friend in a worried tone, "I can sense it. It's everywhere. The volcano is going to erupt; its power will destroy everything around Mount Aleph."

Isaac had to trust that his friend's affinity with fire was accurate, although he hoped that he might be wrong.

Suddenly, Garet grabbed Isaac by the back of his blue tunic, forcing him to a halt.

"Garet, what are you-"

Then, the wall cracked open and molten lava poured into the hallway covering the floor. He could have been killed!

"I knew that was going to happen." Garet explained, "I could feel it!"

"Let's find another way!" Isaac hastily said. They turned back and took another corridor going to their right, taking them to a room with several choices to go, the path on their right would lead them the way they wanted to go. Isaac didn't go that way though.

"Isaac, this way!" Garet called out, but the Earth Adept held his Fire Adept partner back.

The roof of the corridor collapsed a second later, filling the hallway with tonnes of rock.

"That was close, we would have been crushed if we'd entered!" Isaac told him. Garet mumbled his thanks, and they went straight on, behind them the roof cracking open as magma filled the room.

As soon as they could, they took a right, then another, they were back on course to the exit! Isaac and Garet took another turn to the left, and ran up the corridor.

Up ahead, they spotted a point of light showing the way. Sunlight. The entrance to Sol Sanctum was in sight! They ran with all their might towards the way out.

Saturos and his party must have left it open on their way out, but Isaac didn't care. Behind him, he could hear the Sanctum collapse, and he ran harder. They were almost there... then he noticed the roof felt unstable. It was going to collapse! And this was the only way out!

"Lava's about to come through!" Garet warned. They had to get out of here!

Reaching out with his dwindling Psynergy supply, Isaac held the stone in place as they struggled past. He utterly exhausted himself and went beyond his own limits holding it their for their escape.

Garet also focused his Psynergy onto the crack, and Isaac realized he was holding back the lava so that they could make it through.

As soon as they were past the dangerous section of corridor, Isaac let go, and the roof collapsed in. Garet did the same, and the molten lava poured in over the rubble.

He must have utterly exhausted himself then, yet he still somehow went on and used up even more of his Psynergy than he should have even had left. Maybe he really did have a lot of potential for power. Garet must have been in the same situation, holding back that liquid magma must have taken huge amounts of Psynergy.

Isaac noticed that the roof over the entrance was beginning to cave in; the walls were cracking and breaking up. They had to make it! The two immediately raced for the end without a word. Isaac couldn't use up anymore Psynergy now.

The two Adepts rushed through the exit just seconds before the hallway collapsed behind them. Sol Sanctum was sealed up now. They stopped briefly to take in a breath of the air. The air smelled of smoke and sulphur. Looking up, Isaac saw that the air was thick with ash and flying bits of magma. The sky started to glow red from the intense heat, bathing everything in a foreboding red light.

Mount Aleph was erupting. Abruptly, the sky slowly seemed to take on a faint purplish hue as small points of glowing purple were flung up into the sky.

Isaac didn't stop to think about what was happening.

"Let's go." He told Garet.

"I'm right behind you!" He replied.

Together, the two boys raced down the dirt path down the mountain and back to the village of Vale.

* * *

**A/N: **And that's the end of that chapter! Now that Jenna's gone, I'm going to try and amp up Isaac's desire for her… somehow. I've never actually written romance stuff before, so if anyone has any pointers on that, let me know. If you know any good valeshipping fics you think would be good inspiration, tell me! 

Also, anyone recall how I once claimed to give a fair portrayal of the Proxians? It'll be through more than just changing their dialogue like this. Next chapter, we get a little chance to see things from Felix's point of view for a while, broaden the picture a little.

So then, the journey begins when I post the next one! This should be getting better now that I'm really getting into the guts of the game.

Well, after all my rambling, you should give me a nice review. Just use that little purple button down there. Thanx!


	5. The Quest Begins

**A/N: **Well folks, I'm back, after a surprisingly long time. Sorry! I've been real busy over the X-Mas, New Year and subsequent time period. Also, for the last 3 weeks, I had absolutely NO internet, because my modem broke! Well, it's here, it's done, hopefully my fans haven't forgotten me. Speaking of which:

**GoldenSunGeek:** I don't mind the wait. Given how long I took to update, I should be the one apologising! Glad you liked it. Hope you enjoy the Felix part!

**Inix9: **Thanx! I thankful you enjoyed it! Thanx for reviewing!

**Spirit Seer**(all 3 of 'em!): Thanx for your reviews! Sorry for stealing your idea! Actually, I'm not the first to attempt this, really. I'm glad you like all the detail, I go to great lengths to ensure that! Thanx for pointing out the misspelling, I'll try to avoid such things in future. Oh, and thanks a lot for those romance pointers. Great suggestions, hopefully they'll make a difference! But if not… well, I tried!

**OffTheWall: **Thank you! Yes it is hard work novelising a game, but the challenge is part of the fun!

**The Moose:** Thank you for your comment on me being a great writer! I love being told that! (But then, who wouldn't?) Just out of curiosity, who did you think was better than me? (Not insulted or anything, just curious)

**Disclaimer: (**Insert Disclaimer here)

Ok, all that done, let us get on with the chapter, no more from me!

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**THE QUEST BEGINS**

"I thought Mount Aleph was inactive…" The Great Elder mused in a deep, wizened old voice, as he stared up at the massive mountain while he stood next to Vale Sanctum where Kraden had talked earlier with one of the Elders.

His bushy, shoulder length white was pushed back and he stroked his bushy grey beard thoughtfully. He continued to look up at Mount Aleph with concern in his brown, wise looking eyes, his wrinkly brow already furrowed.

His white clothing was of better quality than the other Elders and his blue cloak had some fancy embroidery on it, signifying his being more important than the other Elders.

The ground shook violently and thick, black smoke poured out of the top of the mountain. Already the sky seemed to darken red with heat and small bits of ash floated down from the sky. But it seemed as though it should have completely erupted by now. There seemed to be some power, the Great Elder sensed, holding it back preventing it from exploding, the way volcanoes are supposed to when they erupt. The Great Elder was an expert in Psynergy and he had never seen anything like this, Psynergy working to prevent itself from being dispersed by a volcanic blast.

The mayor stood next to him, also looking concerned. The Mayor, also Garet's grandfather, leaned on his walking stick to support his weight, furrowing his already wrinkled brow and staring with concern with his brown, thoughtful, grandfatherly eyes. He was many years younger than the Great Elder, but still had grey hair and wrinkled features, he even looked similar in age to him, although the mayor's Psynergy skill weren't nearly as potent, or as skilled, as the Great Elder's of course, but Psynergy skills or power counted for little in Vale except amongst the Elders.

"Oh, I hope my grandson isn't really in there!" He cried out quite concerned, "Will Vale be destroyed by this eruption?"

Garet's older sister, Kay, stood next to his grandfather.

"Grandpa, Garet isn't that stupid!" She said, trying to reassure him, "I'm sure he's already gotten of the mountain! It's been rumbling like this for a while now, they must be long gone. We should get out of here while we still can!"

"This eruption will not destroy Vale." The Great Elder declared, "Those three are no longer in any danger, I have been told." He didn't bother to elaborate how he knew this, or who had told him.

"But sir, somebody saw him and Isaac and Jenna climb up the mountain." Garet's younger brother, Aaron, said, "No one has seen them come down yet! We have to rescue them and get out of here before Vale is destroyed!"

"Those visitors from this morning were seen going around the village, leaving the mountain." One of the elders informed the Great Elder, "Apparently with a couple of others with them, though no one got a good enough look at them to see who they were or even if it was that group."

"Isaac and Garet said they were going to Mr. Kraden's house." Isaac's mother, Dora, spoke up defensively, "He was supposed to take them up the mountain, so he would have led them away safely! We should leave this village before we are destroyed by the volcano!"

"This eruption will not harm Vale or its inhabitants." The Great Elder declared in a tone that brooked no argument, "We must bring calm to the people and ensure they stay here where they will not be hurt."

"That's suicide!" Kay protested.

"Enough!" The Great Elder cut her off, "Mayor, Elders. Round up the people, and calm them down. Ensure they do not leave Vale or they may be harmed."

The Elder hurried of to carry out the order while the mayor began shouting orders to the nearby villagers who had gathered.

-

Isaac stopped running down the mountain suddenly when he saw that Garet had stopped there also, looking quite afraid. Isaac tensed expecting to see those two, no four now, strangers standing there or…

"Oh no. It's my grandad. And the Great Elder. And your mum! We're gonna get it for going into Sol Sanctum." Garet told Isaac worriedly.

"You don't have to remind me…" Isaac grumbled, wondering if maybe their escape was all for nothing. What would their punishment for trespassing the sacred sanctum be? Exile from Vale? Well, right now there was only one alternative to facing the music.

"There's a volcano erupting behind us." Isaac stated, "And the quickest way to run is through Vale. We've got to get out of here!"

"Garet!" Kay called out. Immediately everyone around noticed them there.

"Isaac!" Dora called out straight after, noticing them there, looking decidedly relieved, instead of angry as he'd imagined. "You're safe!"

"Come over her, both of you!" The mayor called out to them.

They both clambered down the last of the mountain path to them and stood with them next to Vale Sanctum.

"Where have you been?" The mayor asked, in a concerned voice, temporarily ceasing to try and control things behind him in Vale, "You should have come straight back to the village! We were getting worried!"

"What happened?" The Great Elder asked, already knowing the answer to the mayor's question. "Why has Mount Aleph begun erupting? What happened with you and the Wise One?"

_How does he know about the Wise One?_ Isaac wondered, but it seemed unimportant just now.

"Where are Jenna and Kraden?" Dora asked, noticing the lack of their companions.

"Well, they were taken away…" Isaac began in reply.

"By who?" The mayor asked interrupting.

Isaac paused for a moment trying to find the words. Those people supposedly only arrived this morning, would they know of them or have heard of them?

"Hmm… I understand that things have become greatly complicated." The Great Elder spoke calmly, sensing that there was more to this than met the eye.

"We'll need you to tell us exactly what happened on the mountain." He continued, taking control of the situation. "Come into the Sanctum, both of you. Dora you can come to as you're his mother, as well as you mayor, for being Garet's grandfather and to fill in for his parents, until they can be found." He turned to Garet's two siblings. "I'm sorry Kay and Aaron, but you cannot intrude on this meeting."

"I understand." Kay replied calmly, looking at the mountain with worry, not at all convinced the Great Elder was right to order them to stay there.

"Hrm. Not Fair." Aaron stomped on the ground angrily. He probably wanted to see what happened when his brother got in trouble.

"Go fetch the other Elders." The Great Elder said, turning to the Elder that Kraden had spoken to before, "Restore calm in the village, make sure no one leaves. If those visitors really are who we think… well, there's no time for them now."

The Elder, bowed his head respectfully, before quickly turning to go.

With that the Great Elder led them through the stone doors and into Vale Sanctum.

-

Suddenly Mount Aleph finally stopped holding back and erupted. A great pyroclasm of fire and magma blasted high up into the sky, well above the clouds. The thick black smoke started to turn a purple colour, turning the surrounding countryside unholy shades of purple and red. Little tiny purple gems, which the Elders of Vale knew as Psynergy Stones, were blasted far of into the distance unleashing their power wherever they came to land. Sometimes, larger Psynergy stones or large rocks were flung out landing randomly for miles around. Some of the stones were completely torn apart by the force of the explosion and were ground into little particles of purple dust settling unevenly over everything around the land. The smoke seemed to react violently with the atmosphere, creating blasts of violent lightning, which unleashed unsafe blasts of Psynergetic light, adversely affecting anything that was hit by its glow. The whole power of the Psynergy in the mountain seemed to have been blasted out and scattered around the world changing the environment forever, although the results would not be apparent for a time yet. The effects of the Psynergy released and scattered across were felt all over Weyard, the tremors felt for miles around, as far as Kalay, and the lights so incredible, they were seen even as far away as the Kolima.

-

It was now late afternoon and everyone who was concerned had entered Vale Sanctum. Around the room were two of the Elder's of Vale, sitting in the extra wooden chairs that had been brought in for the impromptu council.

The inside of the Elders Sanctum in Vale was completely unlike anything Isaac had imagined. It was all underground, which kept it cool, although a small fire at the back warmed the air a bit, and there were no windows to see out of. It was a simple square room, made of yellow-orange bricks. There were four lanterns placed evenly around the room to provide light, as there was none that could come through from the outside, unless they left the door open, which they obviously couldn't.

Isaac had expected something somewhat more impressive for the leaders of Vale. There was a ring of half a dozen wooden stools that had been completely rearranged now that they were here.

Dora sat on one of the stools towards the side of the room; next to an empty one that was Isaac's. The mayor was on the opposite side of the room; also next to an empty seat that was Garet's, whose parents sat next to the mayor. Jenna's grandparents were temporarily unavailable, lost in the confusion outside in Vale.

The two Elders flanked the door. The Great Elder sat at the head of the room in the centre, looking down on the two youths as though he were a judge in a court room.

They had all heard the violent explosion of Mount Aleph just minutes before, though the Great Elder refused to order an evacuation, demanding that everyone stay in the village, forcing them to have this council.

_Is it really safe to stay here with an erupting volcano right next to us?_ Isaac wondered, _I hope the Great Elder knows what he's doing._

"Were their names Saturos and Menardi?" The Great Elder asked Isaac and Garet who stood in the centre of the room somewhat awkwardly and humbled.

"Yes, how did you know that?" Isaac asked.

The old man gave a deep sigh. "This is not their first visit to Vale."

"I know, we saw them once three years ago," Isaac replied, and began telling them of how he had heard their conversation, before being attacked by them. The others in the room seemed shocked by this tale he had never told them and even Garet remembered again. But they held back their reactions as they listened to what the Great Elder had to say.

"So our suspicions have been confirmed then." The Great Elder nodded, "The first time they visited here was indeed precisely three years ago today. There was a group of eight, from a distant land; Saturos and Menardi were their two leaders. They arrived claiming to be diplomats for their people. Tried to convince us to let them in to Sol Sanctum. They made up lies about needing the Elemental Stars to release Alchemy upon Weyard once more, trying to get us to believe that terrible things would happen otherwise. But we, of course, knew better. We ignored their threats, told them to leave and never come back. They left somewhat reluctantly, telling us we had damned ourselves. That night the storm that claimed your father's life and those of Jenna's family came over Vale. We had our suspicions that it was that group that had trespassed upon the Sanctum, but we had no evidence beyond mere coincidence. We couldn't even prove that the storm was a result of the violation of the Sanctum. They never returned though, and we hoped that maybe they were gone for good, or better yet, slain in Sol Sanctum's traps. And now, they return to Vale, and again trigger a trap which, even now, causes Mount Aleph to erupt over us."

The town mayor gazed intently at the two boys with his brown, deep eyes. "I think it's time we heard the story these two have to tell." He spoke.

The two Elders murmured agreement among themselves. So Isaac and Garet began, leaving out nothing.

The Great Elder stood over by the fire, gazing into its flames as he listened to Isaac and Garet's story. The Elders both sat gazing intently at the two boys as they told their story, eagerly listening.

One of the Elders insisted on handing out punishment on the two boys straight away, but the Great Elder insisted on hearing their side of the story first, not wanting to make any judgements in ignorance or haste.

They had just finished telling the last of the story when they sat down to hear what the leaders had to say. They were all quite stunned by it all.

"Who could have imagined… the true Sanctum?" The mayor murmured to himself. "This changes everything."

"They took Jenna and Kraden prisoner?" Dora asked, unable to comprehend it all, "Just so that they can seize this ultimate power?"

Isaac nodded. It was hard to accept that she had been taken away. He could never forgive them for that. Jenna would remain in his heart always, even if he never saw her again.

"This is awful..." She murmured.

"How did this group learn so much that we, the Elders of Vale, don't even know?" asked one of the Elders, Terry

"It is unclear…" The other replied, glancing at the Great Elder who remained silent, staring intently into the flames.

"And this young boy holds one of the legendary Elemental Stars right here!" Terry spoke in awe. "Those thieves must be desperate if they resorted to kidnapping an innocent girl and poor Kraden." His partner nodded in agreement.

"We can save her!" Isaac pleaded, "Both of them! They only took her so they could have the Mars Star! If we just give that back…"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Terry shouted, "Do you have any idea what power it is they are trying to seize!"

"I agree, Isaac." Garet added, "You heard what Kraden said. If they get that Sage Stone thingie… well, there won't _be_ a Jenna to rescue."

"She may not be entirely lost…" The mayor mused, "Her brother, Felix, he'll protect them both, won't he?"

Isaac nodded uncertainly. He had been one of their best friends as children; the four of them grew up together. Now he was back from the dead and cavorting with the enemies of Vale, toying with powers that could destroy the world. He wanted to believe that he would do what he could to save her… but how could he be sure? Was Felix the same as he used to be? Poor Jenna… Isaac's heart longed to see her again, he never realised how special she was as a friend to him.

"To be honest, I wouldn't trust Felix as far as I could throw him." Garet snarled bitterly, "He betrayed us and kidnapped his own sister! He's an enemy through and through!"

At that moment, Isaac gave up entirely on Felix, and vowed silently to himself that he would have his revenge on his former friend someday.

"How could he though?" Dora mused sadly, "He used to be such a nice boy… always wanting to do the right thing…"

"Felix can never again be one of us." The mayor declared with his voice full of authority.

"I agree." Terry spoke, "However, that does not change the worst of this news, the theft of the Elemental Stars. We can keep the Mars Star safe here in Vale for some time, guarded by us, but the Elders must set out as soon as possible to seize the other three."

"I agree." replied Tom, "Kraden and Jenna must be rescued, and Felix brought to trial."

"You can't do that!" Isaac suddenly protested, "You don't have any idea how powerful Saturos and Menardi are!"

"Isaac, dear, calm down." Dora said in a soothing voice, "I think we should listen to what the Elders have to say…"

"Sorry, ma'am, but Isaac's right." Garet interrupted, "They are very powerful, I don't think anyone here is strong enough to challenge them."

"Well then, lad, what are we supposed to do would you say?" his grandfather asked, "If you say that it's impossible to somehow defeat these two, how can we save the world from its doom?"

"Well, uh…"

"The mayor is right; we must at least attempt to retrieve the Stars." Tom issued.

"And we can't just leave poor Jenna or Mr. Kraden with their captors." Dora pleaded, "We have to do something!"

"If worst comes to worst, we can always hide the Mars Star where they can never get to it." Terry suggested, "After all, the need all four to release Alchemy and seize the Stone of Sages. With just one missing, their plans are ruined."

"Unless we want them to give Jenna back to us…" Isaac muttered, which he feeling he wanted to do, even though his better judgment told him not too.

"However, doesn't this leave the world dangerously exposed to other parts of Alchemy and the full power of the Lighthouses when these thieves light them with the Stars?" the mayor queried, "The world will still be on the brink."

"So what are we going to do then?" Tom asked.

"Do our best to defeat them." Terry answered, "And get the Stars back."

"And please try and rescue Jenna…" Isaac pleaded softly, though no one gave any indication that they had heard.

"Uh… if you don't mind my asking," Garet spoke up, "What's going to happen to us?"

"Garet, my lad, you're always foolishly getting yourself into all sorts of silly mischief." His grandfather sighed exasperated, "But now you and your friend have put the whole world in jeopardy with your stupid actions. Finding a punishment for you will be… difficult."

"Please, you can't say you're planning to exile them?" Dora panicked, "They're only children! Isaac's the last family I have left since Kyle passed away! Please…"

"Relax, Dora." The mayor interrupted, "There won't be any exiling or rash decisions made… Hmm…. Great Elder what are your thoughts on the matter?"

The Great Elder made no response, still staring into the flames of the fire.

"What is wrong Great Elder?" The mayor probed, "You have been very quiet."

It was true; he hadn't said a word during Isaac and Garet's speech, unlike every one else who kept asking questions throughout trying to get a better understanding. Even Terry and Tom were eager to know more about the hidden part of Sol Sanctum. But the Great Elder had remained quiet, listening carefully to every word.

"You look like your mind's a thousand miles away." Dora added, noting the man's distant look on his face, "What's going to happen to my Isaac? What are you doing to do about those thieves?"

"That hovering stone Isaac and Garet described," He finally said slowly, silencing everyone, "The one that called itself the Wise One."

"What about it?" The mayor asked, urging him to go on.

"I have seen it often before in my dreams. In my mind's eye, it appeared to me again just now and spoke to me. It in fact spoke to me during the eruption telling me to forbid evacuation, explaining why we should stay in the safety of Vale."

"The Wise One's been talking to you?" one of the Elders, Isaac wasn't sure which, asked in a shocked tone of voice.

"Indeed. It is assuredly the Wise One, Guardian of the Elemental Stars. It told me what happened to you in Sol Sanctum."

This produced a moment of shock amongst everyone. The Wise One was the legendary guardian of the Stars, yes. But he was also the being that had helped seal away Alchemy, or so the legends say anyway. And it was he who tasked the Elders of Vale to guard the secret of Sol Sanctum and not let anyone ever find out about it. He also allowed the power of Mount Aleph to give all the inhabitants of Vale the power of Psynergy to some degree to aid them, but also warned the dangers of ever letting anyone from outside the village find out about these powers, as they would not understand them. No one knew what exactly he was, whether a god, an Adept from the Lost Age or whatever, but he was incredibly powerful. And now the legend had indeed come to life.

"So, what did the Wise One say to you about the eruption?" The mayor asked with a hint of concern in his voice. The volcano had erupted only minutes ago and every one was still a bit edgy. The Great Elder remained silent and said nothing.

"Will the volcano destroy Vale?" Dora asked trying to prompt a response after he gave no reply, "We're right next to it, so we must be in danger, yet you keep saying we'll be safe staying here."

"It is impossible to stop the eruption now." He replied grimly, "It's magma will pour out uncontrollably, yet worse still it's true power will be scattered about the land, infusing itself into all life forms."

"But what of us?" one of Elders began, "Will Vale be…"

"Vale will be safe." The Great Elder interrupted, "The Wise One has told me that it will prevent the lava from reaching us." Everyone, including Isaac, breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was wondering why you made us stay here…" Garet mumbled.

But the Great Elder still wore a look of concern on his face.

"What's the matter Great Elder?" the mayor asked noticing this, "There's something worse troubling you, isn't there? Is it regarding the Elemental Stars?"

"Something dark and powerful will be threaten Weyard once more." He said.

"What!" The Elders asked in unison.

"A terrible power." He stated, "The Elemental Star gems house this power. Long ago, a great battle was fought on the slopes of Mount Aleph, the last battle of the Lost Age. The battle was fierce, but in the end, a brave group of Adepts who had extinguished the Lighthouses and taken the Elemental Stars were able to seal away Alchemy. The legends say that power and darkness were sealed away forever, by a brave hero of an army of defenders of the light. The four Clans who fought that battle left to the Lighthouses, to defend them lest such horrible darkness unleash ruin on the land once more. However, a brave order of knights stayed to defend the Sanctum and the Stars. They founded Vale, and swore the people to defend the world against the darkness and power sealed away."

He finally stopped, letting his very serious story sink into the people's heads.

"So the people of Vale are the descendants of heroes of legend?" the mayor asked, beginning to understand. "But you have said that the Clans no longer exist to protect the Lighthouses… so we are the only defence against this dark power being released once more…" The Great Elder nodded before continuing.

"The Elemental Lighthouses will unleash the power of the Elemental Stars upon the world." He explained, "Once that power has been released, Alchemy will touch the world, the Stone of Sages will reform and the whole world will…" He trailed off, not wanting to say the next bit, although they could all guess at the seriousness of it.

"And the Wise One has commanded that we retrieve these gems?" Tom asked, "For that is our purpose. To guard the gems and now we must get them back, or else we will have failed."

The Great Elder nodded. "This world is ours, to save or destroy. Our inaction may bring about its destruction. Even ignoring the powerful and horrific wars that could once more be fought with Psynergy used by everyone… the very shock of unleashing such potency as Alchemy could very well destroy Weyard."

"What a pity…" the mayor mused.

"We cannot hope for salvation." The Great Elder informed them, "Not like the ancient legends say once happened in Weyard's darkest day. We must save ourselves."

"Then what are we going to do?" Dora asked.

"Acquiring the Elemental Star is the fate of these two. The Wise One has commanded that they be sent forth as heroes. He says that only they have the potential to save Weyard from it's doom." He replied gesturing to the two boys standing in the centre of the room.

"Are you saying the Wise One has ordered that we put the fate of the world in the hands of Isaac and Garet?" Dora burst out.

"Garet is only a child." The mayor began, "You can't expect him to bear such a burden."

"The Wise One has spoken." The Great Elder replied unquestioningly, and then turned to look at Isaac and Garet, "Each of you shares responsibility for this. Now each of you must make his own decision. You both have great potential inside of you yet."

Isaac and Garet thought for a moment. This was a heavy burden indeed. But, who else could they turn to? The Elder's of Vale were powerful, yes, but not nearly so as Saturos and Menardi and who knows about Felix, or that Alex guy. Plus, the Elders weren't warriors. They weren't trained to fight and those two sure looked like they were.

Isaac and Garet both had tremendous potential and both wanted to train their abilities. If they were as potentially powerful as the Elders said they were, and they could learn to fully harness their power, then perhaps they would be Vale's only hope.

The Wise One had also mentioned something about destiny inside the sanctum.

Besides, Felix had questions that needed answering. And Isaac wanted to avenge his father's death. And the deaths of Jenna's parents.

Jenna. He had to rescue her. He couldn't abandon her to whatever Saturos had in mind for the beautiful young girl. She meant too much to him.

"Yes," Isaac finally told them, "I'll do it. I accept this quest."

"Well, not alone you aren't." Garet replied, "You're my best friend and you can't go without me. I'll join him!" he finished proudly.

"Oh Isaac," his mother groaned, resting her face in her hands, "You can't mean it…"

"It has been decided then." The mayor declared, "There will be no further discussion. As much as I do not like the idea of having these two sent out… this is a job for the Elders, not children… but, if the Wise One commands it… then we have no choice." He sighed dejectedly.

"O, Wise One," The Great Elder began, as he gazed up at the roof as though to the heavens, "These two have accepted you quest, give us your next command!"

With that a ghostly image of the Wise One appeared before them in the air.

_You two are quite brave to take on this quest. _It's deep, commanding voice told them in there minds. _I shall be watching you. You are about to take on the first step to fulfilling your destiny. Only you can save the world from destruction. You have it within you to destroy the threat to Weyard, and only you can realize this potential. No one else can save your world. Choose your destiny wisely. You may yet be a reincarnation of legendary heroes._

"So that's the Wise One…" Dora breathed in shocked awe to herself, "I had always wondered what he looked like…"

"What more do you have to say, Wise One?" the mayor asked. Both the other elders seemed too shocked for words right now.

_Felix must unlock the power._ The Wise One told them.

**_Felix_** must unlock the power? _What does he mean by that?_ Isaac wondered at this.

_Find the lighthouses. You'll have the guidance of the Elemental Star. _The Wise One continued, _Only Isaac has the power within him to face to true foe of this world. He must choose his path now. His destiny awaits._

_Destiny!_ Isaac didn't want to go out on any adventure and fulfil a destiny involving the fate of the world! He was no warrior, the Wise One couldn't ask this of him!

"Wait, Wise One!" Isaac called out, "Why didn't you stop them when they were stealing the stars? You were just watching the whole time!" It was a question that had been bugging him.

_There are yet things that must be done_ It replied sagely, _Destiny must be fulfilled. Certain events cannot any longer be avoided. It is up to you to do this now; my purpose is no longer to guard the Stars. There will come a time when you do not regret my choice of action. Farewell, may the blessing of Sol be upon you and guide your destiny._

The ghostly image of the Wise One faded and vanished from the room.

"Surely, that cannot be all the Wise One has to say." The mayor muttered. But the Wise One was gone, he had said what needed to be said.

"That is all." was all the Great Elder said.

"That's it!" The mayor asked exasperated, "Isn't there anything else you can tell them Great Elder?"

"These two must take this journey themselves, relying on their own strength. No one from this village can help them."

He slowly, yet confidently, walked out the door. Before leaving he turned to them and said, "I leave it all up to you Isaac, Garet." Then he left, placing his faith in the boy's abilities and the Wise One's commands. The other two Elders followed him out, protesting at his decision, leaving the two boys, Dora and the mayor alone.

"Well, what good are those guys?" The mayor asked incredulously, "Sending children off with no help or directions. They cannot do this alone"

"I agree," Dora began, "But they didn't give us any other choice. The Wise One commanded they do this on their own… their destiny… I'm not so sure about this…"

"It's my destiny…" Isaac muttered, "Save the world? I can't do that… but it seems I have to…" The Wise One had made it perfectly clear that only Isaac could save them, "But I have to save Jenna somehow. And Kraden. So I'll do it."

"Hey, I feel kinda responsible for this, so let's do it." Garet shrugged, "Besides, won't it be great to be remembered in stories and legends all over the world as the heroes who saved Weyard?"

"Being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be…" Isaac replied, "It's all hard work and life risking danger… I don't want any of that! I just want to get Jenna back… I wish none of this had ever happened…"

"Yeah, you're right…" Garet replied, but was cut off as his grandfather and Isaac's mother began speaking.

"When should they leave?" They mayor asked.

"It doesn't sound like the two of them can afford to wait." Dora replied.

"Tomorrow, then?" The mayor offered, "That would be best. It would give us time to prepare, while getting them set off quickly after those thieves."

"Tomorrow? Yes, that sounds good." Dora replied, deciding their fate for them.

Isaac hated it when his mother made big decisions for him.

-

_The next day…_

Isaac and Garet stood side by side at the town gate, surrounded by their friends and family, and many of the residents of Vale. They were all still saying their farewells.

Isaac had found an old sword that had belonged to his father, which he had strapped to his back, while Garet had found a heavy, double bladed battle-axe from somewhere to use as a weapon. Both wore simple leather clothing, and light steel armour given to them as a gift by the village blacksmith to help out on their dangerous journey to save the world. It was the first time either of them had worn armour or carried weapons. Isaac had to admit he didn't exactly feel very comfortable like this, and even Garet seemed to hold himself a little awkwardly.

"Good luck Isaac and Garet." The Great Elder told them from the middle of the crowd, surrounded by all the other Elders. "May the blessings of Sol be upon you and the Wise One guide you."

"Remember, with Mount Aleph's eruption, the power of the Psynergy Stones inside it may have been spread about the land." One of the Elders warned, "Learn to defend yourself. We believe you both have it within you to become powerful warriors."

"But be careful." Another cautioned, "A true Adept only ever used their power for the common good, never evil. The ancient guardian knights of the Lost Age used to say something like that."

"Don't eat too much, Garet." Garet's younger brother, Aaron, said cheekily, "You have to make those provisions last the trip!"

"Hey, I know how not to eat, you know!" Garet replied, annoyed.

"Don't listen to him, Isaac!" His older sister, Kay, told him, "He's a pig! He'll eat anything that's not tied down."

"I know, I'll have to be careful he doesn't waste our provisions." Isaac laughed.

Garet didn't see the funny side of it. "I don't eat that much!" He replied defensively, "No more than anyone else my age at least, anyway."

"Man, I wish I was going on a trip outside Vale!" Aaron moaned, "I'd love to be on an adventure!"

"Don't be silly, son." Garet's dad scoffed, "This is dangerous stuff. The fate of the world hangs in the balance! Garet, you bear a lot of responsibility that I'm not sure you're ready to handle, but you're a man now, and it's up to you to make your own life decisions."

"Isaac!" Jenna's grandmother called out. She trotted up to him sadly. "Please, bring Jenna back… she's the only family I have left after my husband." When told of Felix's betrayal, she had refused to believe it was really him, and still acted as though he was dead. Maybe, in a way, he was. Isaac wondered if maybe he should try and think of his former friend in the same way.

"I'll do my best, Ma'am." Isaac promised with all his heart.

"Please don't let her get hurt… we love her so much." Her grandfather put in.

_You and me both._ Isaac thought silently, nodding in mute understanding.

He held out his hand, and pressed a few gold coins into Isaac's hand.

"For the journey." He said.

"I can't take this!" Isaac protested, "You can't afford it…" But he cut the young Earth Adept off.

"Don't worry about it. We'll do anything to bring her back. If she doesn't…" he didn't continue, merely melted back into the crowd and left Isaac to stew on his own thoughts. He pocketed the coins gratefully, many residents of Vale had given them gifts for their journey to help save the world. The leather travelling boots he and Garet wore now were one of them. They had some food in their packs also from the village Innkeeper, and many camping supplies from various others.

"Hmm… Dora is awfully late." One of the Elders mused. Isaac felt a little concerned at this, but refused to think on it.

_She'll come… please Sol, let her see me one last time… I may never see her again._

"Oh! That's right!" Garet's sister, Kay, suddenly spoke up, remembering something, "Aunty Dora asked me to give this to you, Isaac."

She dropped a necklace of pearly white beads into Isaac's open, leather gloved hand. Her Catch Beads. One of his mother's prized possessions. The Catch Beads were a Psynergy Item that allowed an Adept to wield Catch when they channelled Psynergy through it, although Isaac didn't know how it worked. It was very helpful around the house. When used, a person could reach out with invisible flows of Psynergy and grab hold of light, distant object, bringing them to themselves. Memories of that night when his mother had used them to grab his cloak before leaving to run into the storm came into his head. His mother had asked someone else to give them, instead of offering them her self?

Isaac swallowed a lump in his throat. When he'd gotten up this morning, she'd looked very sick. She said not to worry, that she was just tired and would be up in time to see him off. But Isaac was very concerned. He couldn't just leave her; abandon her without at least saying one last goodbye.

He put the beads in his pocket, and thanked her quietly.

"So… what, we ready to go yet, or what?" Garet asked him, not sensing his anxiety.

"Wait, Garet!" Kay scolded him. "Dora isn't here yet. Isaac has to say good-bye to his mother first!"

"It must be very difficult for Dora." Garet's mother said to Isaac, "As Garet's mother, I know how Dora must be feeling. But I still have Garet's father and my two daughters as well as his grandparents. All Dora has is you."

She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled at him in a motherly way that only mothers could do.

"She doesn't want you to go, Isaac." She said, "But she knows that you have to, and it hurts her to see you leave."

Isaac nodded understandably, but a lump in his throat hurt him too much to say anything. This quest was very important and he couldn't just stop because it hurt to say goodbye. Maybe that was why she didn't want to come say farewell. Although he was sure that she had been genuinely sick earlier. He may have learned a bit about healing wounds with his Psynergy, but if it was a sickness, which was similar to poison, then he couldn't do anything about it. He just had to let it go.

"Remember, Isaac." One of the Elders called out, "When you visit other villages and towns… you absolutely cannot use your Psynergy. It's not like here in Vale, where it's used all the time. Other people have never seen it, and won't understand. They might think you're something evil. Only use it when others cannot see it, and be careful not to get caught out. This is our final lesson to you."

"I understand." Isaac nodded.

"I wonder what it must be like for people who can't use Psynergy…" Garet mused.

"Well, they can't keep standing around here like this, or they'll never leave!" the mayor called out, "So one final farewell!"

Then everyone called out loudly "FAREWELL!"

"GOOD-BYE!" Garet and Isaac both called out, waving.

And with that, they left, turning their backs on their home Vale, and heading out into the big, wide world.

The quest, that would one day be known as "the Quest for the Golden Sun", had begun.

-

Isaac and Garet began walking out across the fields surrounding Vale, glad to finally see what the world was like on the outside. Isaac stopped for a moment and stared out at the landscape.

It was clear for miles around, a few trees lightly dotting the landscape, the mountains far off into the distance and a dirt road that supposedly led to some town called Vault. According to the map of Angara, Vault was the next nearest town, a two day walk from Vale. It seemed the only place to go. From there they would have to talk with locals to find out where the thieves had gotten to. Assuming of course, that was where they had gone.

_Well, the Wise One did say we would have the guidance of the Elemental Star._ Isaac figured, _Somehow, maybe it will just happen to lead us along the right path._

It was a peaceful, idyllic day, not at all like the previous day when Mount Aleph erupted. But Isaac tried not to think about it.

"So, we've finally gotten out on our big adventure, eh?" Isaac finally said, trying to start conversation.

"Yeah, not at all like we'd imagined it would be growing up as kids though, is it?" Garet replied with a humorous smile.

"Yeah, you, me, Jenna and Felix, we all had planned to go out some day and explore the world even though the Elders forbade it." Isaac said back to him, "Now it's just the two of us, trying to rescue one of our friends and probably fight the other because he's sided with evil. And at the same time trying to save the world."

"Not at all like we'd planned for it, is it?" Garet asked with a smirk.

Isaac smiled. He was glad to be with his best friend, at least. He wasn't sure if he could've done this if he was on his own.

"Well, we'll just have to take it as it goes." He replied. He began to think about they're plans. They had enough food for a few days, although he hoped they could probably scrounge up something in the countryside, he'd had practice before with this sort of stuff, camping with his friends out in the forest near Vale. Not a real great distance of course, but it helped make them feel as though they were really out and about.

"So, where exactly do we go from here?" Garet asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Well, according to the map," He replied, "The best direction is south, towards a town called Vault. The Elders agree that it's the best way to go if we want to find out which direction they are going in. After that, who knows where we'll wind up?"

Garet nodded.

Isaac started thinking about something that had him concerned. "Do you think that there really could be dangerous creatures out here?" He asked, "The Elders were quite concerned about that. They thought that maybe, due to the eruption spreading the Psynergy stones all over the place, some creatures would be infused with its power unnaturally, making them dangerous enemies, like how Kraden explained."

"Don't worry," Garet replied, "I'm sure they wouldn't be anything to worry about. We can handle them."

You could always count on Garet's good old-fashioned over-confidence.

As they walked on, Mount Aleph rumbled like a sleeping giant, after shocks of its previous eruption, and spewed out large chunks or rock into the sky.

The Elders had warned Isaac and Garet of the possibility the mountain might have a few "mini eruptions" for some time afterwards.

Huge rocks, almost the size of boulders fell heavily from the sky, slamming into the ground like meteors, shaking the earth below the two young Adept's feet.

"Woah, I wasn't expecting that! Let's get out of here!" Garet shouted over the explosion.

Isaac agreed wordlessly, and the two set of at a run down the path. Several other rocks landed nearby, one so close Isaac thought that they might be hit. Then the shower of volcanic debris ended, and Isaac and Garet stopped and turned back.

Mount Aleph was still once more, and the sky no longer held danger. But smoke still rose like a warning from the mountain peak.

"That was close!" Isaac sighed. They could have been crushed if they'd stayed where they were. "Let's hope it doesn't happen again!"

"Oh, it will." Garet warned gravely, as though he knew for sure, "It'll happen, probably when we least expect it."

"What are you, a prophet now?" Isaac asked jokingly.

"Me? Nah, leave that to the Jupiter Clan of old. We Mars Adepts can just blast them things out of the sky when they come, don't need to know when it's going to happen."

"I didn't see you doing anything to help out then!" Isaac smiled, giving his friend a playful punch.

"Yeah, well…" Garet trailed off, unable to think of a comeback.

"Come on, we should get going now." Isaac suggested, "The further away from here we get, the less likely to be killed by that volcano." He stood, and began walking back along the dirt road.

"Hey, you Earth Adepts can't do much about falling rocks either!" Garet called out, racing to catch up with Isaac.

"I never said we could." He shrugged off his friends attempted barb.

"Yeah, well… I was just saying…"

The two continued along the road to Vault.

-

Isaac flopped down onto the ground for a rest. They'd been walking for close to five hours, by his guess, and there was still nothing left in sight besides trees, grass, and the same winding road. Garet sat heavily next to him and glanced over at his friend.

"Do you think we've even moved at all?" he grumbled, "We've been seeing the same thing all day! I'd have thought the world would be more exciting and interesting than this. At least a few landmarks or something."

Isaac glanced in the direction they were travelling.

"Well, we probably have a while to go before we see anything interesting, I suppose. Vault is still a day and a half away."

"Hmm… I guess." Garet mused, "I wonder what time it is now?

Isaac looked at the sun. "I'd say it's about time for lunch."

Garet's head snapped to Isaac. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Isaac shook his head and opened his backpack. In the short time that they'd slept last night, some of the villagers had arranged supplies and food for them to bring on their quest, for which he was grateful. He grabbed a couple of sandwiches out of his pack and tossed one over to Garet. They both began to munch on their food, content to sit in silence.

Isaac went over what the mayor had said about the city, Vault. It was nestled in a small valley a fair way south of Vale. It was mainly a residential settlement, with small amounts of trading with the surrounding towns, including Vale from time to time. It was also the most likely place that Saturos' party would have stopped after leaving Vale. Hopefully they could pick up some clues there to figure out where they went next.

"Hey Isaac," Garet started.

"Yeah?" the Venus adept responded.

"Do you really think we stand a chance?"

Isaac looked over at his friend, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

Garet looked down at the ground. "I mean, they have half a day's head start on us, if not more. We have no idea where they're going. And let's face it; Saturos and Menardi by themselves are more powerful than we are." Garet's face seemed to harden. "And with Felix and that blue-haired guy, Alex, on their side, how can we possibly overcome them?"

"We have to," Isaac said simply. "I have no idea how, but we must stop them. If what the elders said is true, then the fate of the world is at stake, and we're the only ones who can potentially stop it." Isaac swallowed, and then continued. "Besides, we have to save Jenna and Kraden."

Garet was quiet for a moment. "I hope they'll be safe."

Isaac thought of Jenna in the hands of Saturos and Menardi. He shook his head rapidly, trying to clear out the image, before the anger and hurt clouded his mind.

"Felix is there. I don't know what he's doing with Saturos and Menardi, but he said he won't let them hurt his sister. We have to trust in that."

Isaac wasn't sure how much he could believe that, but he so desperately wanted Jenna to be safe that he was willing to hope for even as something as wild as that. But his vow for vengeance against him, like that of Saturos and Menardi, would always stand.

Garet nodded, finishing off his sandwich. "Personally, I don't honestly believe Felix will look after her, as much as I'd like to believe he would. We can't trust him."

Isaac ate his last few bites in silence, briefly wondering who he was trying to convince of Jenna's safety. The continued walking towards Vault, the rest of the day passing silently and without event. Even Mount Aleph didn't bother them again with erupting rocks.

Eventually, the day came to an end and night set in. It was supposed to be a two-day journey to Vault, so they made camp near a large old tree for the night on top of a small hill and started a fire with Garet's Psynergy, cooking some salted meat that they had. They didn't have much, and it was easier to carry more fruits and vegetables and just hunt wild animals for meat.

They both ate dinner silently, their minds dwelling on the monumental task and destiny ahead of them.

As Isaac sat there, his mind drifted to Jenna. He hoped she was alright. For the first time, it occurred to him that maybe Saturos' party might never get caught up by them; that they would be following in vain forever. And Jenna would never again be freed. He cared a lot about her and with good reason.

After that storm three years ago, she had been the only one that had understood the pain he felt at the loss of his father. And he partially understood the loss of her family. They took comfort in each other's grief.

The day after he'd woken up in the village Inn, tired bruised and burnt. The healer had said he must have been hit by lightning. He had been unconscious, couldn't remember what had happened after the boulder and was severely burnt in several places. Logically, it could have been the only thing that happened. He'd believed the man, but hadn't understood the look of doubt in his eye, as though he didn't believe what he was saying, as though he suspected something else. Now, of course, he knew the truth.

He and Garet were both allowed to rest in a couple of rooms for a few days while they recovered. And Jenna, because she had nowhere else to go, took a room next to his.

The Innkeepers let them stay for free, and refused to accept payment of any sort. His mother, grief-stricken, stayed at home, unwilling to see anyone. Garet had been inundated by his family, his parents fussing over him, and his grandfather, the town mayor, insisting they visit one at a time.

A few of the villagers and friends of his father had come to visit him, trying to comfort him, telling him what a great man Kyle had been and what a brave lad he was for going through all this.

But their words were cold comfort. They sounded more like they were trying to make themselves feel better than himself. And he resented their presence. He wished that they'd just leave him alone, but they wouldn't. He was grateful when night came and the mayor ordered the three of them left alone. He didn't know what had happened to Jenna, but imagined she got the same treatment.

That night she had climbed into his bed and cried into his shoulder, pouring her heart out about how she felt. And he was glad of her presence. They comforted each other in their own way, and they were closer that night emotionally than ever before, and always would be ever after, trusting each other totally.

After that, he had to tell her his feelings, opening up his heart to her. He was so desperate to help, but still he failed. Because he wasn't strong enough. He tried to get help… but he failed again.

He didn't even remember what happened. He was so sure he could have saved them, but he wasn't strong enough. Like she had told him, the fact that he didn't even get to say good-bye, just had his father taken away from him like that, hurt immeasurably.

He cried his pain away, and she comforted him, wiped away his tears, and soothed his soul. He had opened up his heart to her, and he felt so much better to have let it out and have had someone listen.

She'd left to go back to her room sometime after that. A while after the incident, when things had settled down again, the three of them had begun training themselves in Psynergy, under the Elders supervision, and guidance. On the first anniversary of the accident, he and Jenna had gone out at night to the very pier where their loved ones had died. They wanted to honour the memory of those who had passed away. They murmured a few words of prayer for their lost souls, holding each others hand in silent respect.

"I envy you, Isaac." She said at one point, "You only lost your father. You still have Dora, you still have someone to care for you. I have no-one to care for me. I'm all alone."

"That's not true." Isaac told her, "You still have your friends. I still care."

He hugged her again as she started crying again. Whether to comfort him or herself, he didn't know. Maybe both.

He cared too much for her to see her hurt. He wanted her back as much as the Elemental Stars.

He was still gloomily thinking on those old memories as he finished eating. Finally he decided to push them out of his head, ignore them. He had to focus on the quest ahead of him, not let painful old memories get to him.

After dinner, they set up they're tent and went quietly to sleep. Nearby, the river flowed silently.

They heard Mount Aleph rumble some more behind them, but if any more volcanic rock was thrown out, it did not come near to where Isaac and Garet lay asleep.

-

Felix stopped and looked around. They had just arrived in the town of Vault. There was a time when he would have been surprised to see such a large town, but that time was long over now. Saturos had just booked a room at the local Inn and they were just about to enter. He looked to his sister, Jenna, to see how she was reacting. She still refused to talk to him or even look at him and would not listen to a word that was said to her about why they were on this mission.

Her hands were bound behind her back with steel restraints, because she kept using her Fire Psynergy to burn the rope bonds. They were hidden by her cloak. Why Saturos had been carrying those things around, Felix didn't know.

He sighed. She would probably never forgive him for siding with these people. She noticed his gaze and quickly turned away, red ponytail swinging behind her back.

_She'll come to understand eventually _he reassured himself, _at least, I hope so._

"Stay quiet, and don't draw attention to yourself girl." Menardi warned Jenna softly.

"You can't tell me what to do." Felix's sister snarled back. Throughout the entire trip to Vault, she had been nothing but argumentive, stubborn and violent, made worse by her small training in Fire Psynergy. She had been quieter the last few hours, and hadn't tried to escape once, which was new. Felix suspected it had something to do with what his blue-haired friend, Alex, had done to her after a particularly violent tantrum, although Felix had never found out what that was. But it had been enough to calm her temper down considerably.

They entered the Inn and quickly settled down in their room. Surprisingly Jenna didn't make a scene. Maybe she was beginning to accept defeat. Only Kraden would really know for sure, he was the only one she had willingly talked to throughout the trip.

Saturos ordered them to not attract any attention to themselves and keep a low profile. They didn't want anyone who might be following them to know that they had been there. He and Menardi then sat down over their map and began some quiet discussion.

"Best to head east, then swing towards Mercury Lighthouse, like Alex says." Saturos told his companion, "It would save having to backtrack from Venus Lighthouse; especially now that it is possible some of the people of Vale may be trying to follow us."

"True, Mercury is the best one to head to first." Menardi replied, "But what about the Mars Star. How will we ever get that?"

Alex sat down with them and joined in the conversation.

"I'm confident that they will meet with us with the Mars Star if they do happen to survive." He informed them smoothly, "They will want to get Jenna and the old man back."

Felix turned his back on them, ignoring their conversation. He was stuck making sure their prisoners Jenna and Kraden didn't do anything. What could he say to them? He was silent for a while before coming to a decision. Sitting down opposite them on a bed he decided to try and lighten the mood a little.

"You two must be kinda hungry now, I suppose." He asked them casually.

Jenna turned away and didn't even look at him. Felix felt a pang in his heart at this.

_My own sister!_

"Young man, do you have any idea what you're doing by trying to release Alchemy on the world?" Kraden asked him, the first time he'd spoken to Felix now that he knew their plans, "What you are doing is foolish and dangerous and must be stopped now, you don't understand the forces that will be released…"

"Quiet!" Saturos snapped at the scholar, "I've tried explaining it to you already. We need to do this!" Then he turned back to discuss things with Menardi again. Alex was sitting to the side now, idly listening while no longer partaking in the conversation.

Jenna really began to glare at him with her chestnut brown eyes in a murderous way then. What he was doing was very contradictory to everything that the Elders of Vale had taught them.

Hearing such… blasphemy, as she must have thought of it, was an act of betrayal upon their hometown. To go against their Elders teachings of protecting the seal on Alchemy and stealing from the very place they were sworn to protect would have been unforgivable in her eyes. To hear him say that must have really infuriated her. She was fiercely defensive of everything that she believed in and aggressive in letting others know she didn't agree with them.

_But what can I say?_

"Listen," he began, in a softer tone, trying to earn their respect, "if either of you wants something to eat, I'll go down into the Inn common room and see if they have any dinner available. I'm going down there myself anyway so it's no trouble."

No matter how hard he tried to get on friendly terms with them, neither ever wanted to cooperate with him. To Kraden, he was just some young kid that was one of the bad guys and incidentally happened to once have been Jenna's brother. Jenna viewed him as one of the enemy and still thought of her brother as being dead, not even acknowledging she even knew him any more.

"Well?" He pressed, eager from some sort of response from the two of them.

"Very well, then." Kraden sighed reluctantly, then went back to daydreaming about whatever it was went through the Alchemy Sage's mind.

"Jenna?"

"Shut up." She snapped coldly.

"Hey, I'm trying to help you, won't you even listen?" His tone was pleading with her. She ignored him.

"Hey, I'm your brother for crying out loud!" He snapped, eager for some sort of acknowledgment.

"Shut up, you don't know me!" She growled venomously.

"Aren't you going to realise we're brother and sister?" He tried to get through to her.

"Get away from me; I used to have a brother with your face. I don't want to see it on a traitor." She spoke with coldly, meaning every word. She then fixed Felix with such a glare of venomous hatred and contempt, he looked away, unable to face her any longer.

_If only you understood why I'm doing this._

He got up and said to Saturos, trying not to let his sadness come through with his words, "Hey, I'm going down to get some dinner, I'll be back up in a minute." Saturos nodded to him and quickly turned back to whatever it was they were talking about now.

"I will go out also." Alex stated simply, "I wish to see if there is anything to learn in this town." Then he warped, vanished in a blaze of white light. He was always doing that, just warping in and out whenever he pleased. Saturos didn't like it, but knew that he needed him in order to enter Mercury Lighthouse.

Felix left the room, catching the last of Saturos and Menardi's conversation.

"...need to find the Rod of Hesperia somehow." Saturos told Menardi.

"And also a Wind Adept before we reach Jupiter Lighthouse. We have Adepts of every other element to enter the others..." Menardi continued, trailing off as Felix left the room.

He went down stairs towards the Inn kitchen. He still planned on getting something for Jenna to eat, despite their last conversation. If he knew her as well as he did three years ago, which he realised dismally he might not now, she would probably just throw it in his face as a means of defiance. But he was willing to take the risk.

As he entered the common room he noticed a group of merchants and a young servant sitting around the fireplace in open discussion. Felix could hear everything that they were discussing. Apart from him and those merchants, the only other people were a couple of guys sitting over in the corner away from everyone else engaged in their own conversation, but they spoke quietly and secretively that no one could hear what was said. They looked almost suspicious. Felix stood by the kitchen door, listening for a moment to the conversation amongst the merchants.

"Master Hammett, there are still some wares left in our wagons, we can still make more profit before we leave." One of the merchants spoke.

"No, it is far too dangerous to stay around here anymore." Replied the man who Felix assumed to be Master Hammett. He was a round, jovial appearing man who wore a bandanna over what was probably a balding head and a long, thick moustache that Felix had come to recognize as popular among Kalayan merchants.

"Ever since that volcano erupted to the north, there have been dangerous rocks falling over the country side." Hammett replied. Felix knew immediately he was referring to Mount Aleph. Even though it had been two full days since that eruption, there was still the occasional aftershock in the mountain, resulting in the odd rock falling from the sky.

"We leave tomorrow at lunch time and not a moment later." Hammett finished.

The merchant who he was arguing with stood up next to the fire and replied, "But I just think we can make a nice profit if we stay here at least one more day! It'll take all of tomorrow till lunch time to get our wagons ready and I don't think we could sell anything in that time."

"I'm sorry friend, but our own safety must come before profit. There is no way around it." Hammet replied in a kind, but firm voice.

The two continued their irrelevant conversation, but Felix's attention was distracted by the young servant standing next to Hammet, staring intently at the other merchant. Felix was shocked to see that the servant was glowing with the light of Psynergy!

That kid, he couldn't of been more than 15 years old, must be an Adept! There was no other explanation! This servant had a mop of blonde hair that nearly got in his eyes, which were purple, and he was wearing ornate purple silk clothes and a green cloak with gold embroidery. Obviously his master took very good care of him.

_An Adept…_ Felix observed, _His appearance is that of a Wind Adept, although I have no way to know for sure._

But that rod he was holding, he was sure that it held some power. It looked familiar from pictures he had seen in some old books, if it was really what he thought it might be, then Saturos would be very interested indeed.

"Ivan, please fetch us some more wine." Hammet asked, and the servant got up with a polite nod, and made his way to the counter, ceasing his hold of Psynergy.

_Must be some sort of Adept that was born naturally_ Felix figured. That was very rare, in fact Felix was sure it was supposed to be impossible nowadays. Even Saturos, Menardi and Alex had been born in 'Adept Climates' as Kraden had put it.

Ivan stopped at the bar next to Felix.

"More wine for Master Hammet, please." He asked the Innkeeper in a small, meek voice. As the Innkeeper left to retrieve the wine, Felix looked to the young servant and began speaking.

"Excuse me… uh…" he suddenly realized he wasn't sure what to say. Ivan looked at him with big purple eyes, seeming slightly nervous. "That rod of yours…"

"This?" Ivan queried, holding up the wooden rod he held for some reason, "It is called the Shaman's Rod. Master Hammet asks that I look after it for him."

_The Shaman's Rod._ Felix though, _Yes, that was another name for the Rod of Hesperia…_

How had he come across that? It didn't matter, they needed it for Jupiter Lighthouse.

"Do you think that you master might be interested in… maybe selling it?" Felix asked.

"No." Ivan replied, in a firm voice Felix thought unbecoming of the small boy, "I'm sorry, but it's not for sale. Why do you want it?"

"I'm, uh… a collector of artefacts." Felix stumbled, probably not sounding, or looking convincing of the lie. "My master will pay any price for it."

"It's not for sale." Ivan answered meekly, looking to the floor, "I'm sorry."

Well, he would talk to Saturos later. Maybe he could speak with Master Hammet and arrange some sort of deal, for now, Felix decided to focus on this kid's obvious Adept abilities.

"When you were looking at that merchant with your master, over there." Felix gestured, "You were glowing with some sort of power…"

"No!" Ivan cut him off in a panicked voice, "No power. I don't have any strange powers, I'm a normal person, that's all." The innkeeper came with the wine. Clearly this servant had no idea what his powers were and was afraid off them, afraid to let others know of them. Such was the life of an untrained, uninformed Adept.

"Excuse me." Ivan picked up his master's precious wine, and quickly turned to leave, careful not to spill any.

He thanked Ivan's back for his time and headed back upstairs to his room without ordering any dinner from the Innkeeper. He had to tell Saturos about his suspicions concerning the rod and the servant.

When he entered the room, Saturos and Menardi were still talking with one another, now over some casual matter, while Jenna and Kraden sat to the side, Jenna glaring daggers at her captor's backs. Menardi was calmly brushing her long blonde hair with a comb.

Felix immediately told them everything he had just observed in the Inn common room.

"You honestly believe that it was the Rod of Hesperia the boy held?" Saturos asked doubtfully, pushing back his blue hair, "In the hands of some common servant?"

"Yes, but he calls it the Shaman's Rod." Felix replied, "Didn't you say that was another name it was known by?" Saturos nodded unconvinced.

"I just saw them in there with that stick." Felix told them, "And Hammett's servant is in fact a Jupiter Adept."

"A Jupiter Adept? Are you sure?" Menardi asked in eager surprise, ceasing her brushing and tying her hair back.

"Well, I know for a fact he is an Adept, but it's only a guess that he's one of the Wind element." Felix replied.

"Are you certain of all this?" Saturos asked, more curiously now that Felix had mentioned an Adept.

"I saw it with my own eyes." he replied.

"We need to get that rod." Menardi said, "We cannot even enter Jupiter Lighthouse without it!"

"And we need to see if we can convince that boy to come with us." Saturos added. "At least, if he really is a Wind Adept as Felix suspects."

"A merchant's servant?" Felix asked doubtfully, "You would have to explain everything to him, and it seems unlikely that he would believe you. He has grown up with normal people in the world. He doesn't understand what his powers are or how he got them."

"Well, the simple solution is to kidnap him." Alex stated, walking in through the door. Had he hear everything? It would be like him to listen without making his presence know immediately. Being a weak Adept, he naturally acted sly ways.

"And how, may I ask will we do that under the noses of a dozen merchants, their guardsmen, and the whole town of Vault?" Saturos asked incredulously, "Besides, the boy may not be like young Jenna here, he may be strong enough to put up fight."

Jenna muttered something like a curse under her breath, but Felix wasn't listening. His attention was all focused on his master.

"Felix has a good point, Saturos." Menardi told her friend, "It may be better to just leave him for now. Maybe if we're lucky, we will meet another Wind Adept elsewhere in Weyard, or even near Jupiter Lighthouse. We can just leave the boy."

"But we cannot leave the Rod." Alex curtly reminded her.

"Well, someone must find a way of obtaining it, there is no other choice." Saturos told them with a sigh, "I'd prefer a peaceful way of obtaining it... but if they won't part willingly, then we may have to take drastic measures."

"You're nothing but petty thieves!" Jenna remarked, although no-one was paying her any mind now.

"I cannot believe that such a relic really has been found right here in Vault, in the hands of a young servant!" Kraden spoke softly to himself.

"Well, you heard the rumours of thieves staying in Vault?" Felix asked, "I don't want to do this, but it does seem to be something that we may have to do..." and then he explained carefully his plan obtain the Rod if it could not somehow be given to them. Jenna looked away in disgust as Felix laid out his idea, but there was no choice. He wanted a peaceful resolution to all this as much as anyone else.

Outside of town, far off into the distance, wolves howled out loud at the full moon in the sky.

-

Suddenly, the howl of wolves awoke Isaac. Wolves!

_I'd better investigate _he thought groggily as he awoke. Garet groaned in his sleep at the sound, but quickly calmed down again. Isaac tried shaking him awake and when that didn't work, he started yelling at him and hitting him lightly.

_What a heavy sleeper _he thought to himself _I'm glad I don't rely on him to wake me up_.

He finally managed to rouse the heavy Mars Adept, though he was grumbling and complaining and wondering why Isaac had woken him up. Isaac shushed him though and told him about the wolves he could hear.

"Wolves?" Garet answered, still not fully awake, "What's so big a deal about them? We don't have to get worried."

"Garet, wolves are dangerous!" Isaac told him, "Besides, if the Elders are right, they could be much more dangerous than normal. We'd better go check it out."

He got out of the tent, leaving Garet to follow. And there they were, a pack of vicious looking wolves, six of them, just down from the hill they were camped on. Armed with his Psynergy and his sword, he thought he might be able to defend himself against them and with Garet's flame powers worked up into powerful attack; they could probably wipe them out. But then, Isaac noticed that they weren't normal wolves at all. They were unnaturally large and had glowing yellow eyes. They had been changed by the power of Psynergy all right. The Elders were right. This could be dangerous. Garet quickly came out with his axe in tow and saw what Isaac was looking at.

"We can take 'em." Garet whispered confidently.

Then Isaac remembered that they weren't wearing their armour, they had taken it off before going to bed. But there wasn't going to be time to put it back on now, no way. But he quickly came up with a plan.

"Garet, when I give the word, give them everything you've got. Launch your most powerful Psynergy attack at them. I'll create a small earthquake so that they won't be able to move. After that we'll run up and slice whatever is still alive." He realized that he was taking the role of leader here, but Garet didn't seem to mind

"Alright boss," Garet replied jokingly "I'm ready when you are."

About then, the wolves seemed to notice them from down the hill, and climbed up to meet them. This was it, their first battle.

"All right then, NOW!" He shouted.

Garet launched a powerful fireball from his hands that smashed into the nearest one sending it back into its companion behind it. It exploded sending flames in every direction and severely burning the others. Garet then erected a flare wall right through their ranks, scorching them even more.

Isaac created a tremor in the earth directly under them, making it impossible for them to stand and run while being burned. Isaac unleashed more Psynergy and caused a landslide along the hill, completely burying the wolves at the bottom. Garet let out a whoop and said, "Good work Isaac! I knew we'd come through!"

"Don't celebrate yet." Isaac warned, motioning to the rubble, where the still alive wolves were stirring. That would have killed any normal creature, yet here they were still breathing. A couple of the wolves got out, but instead of running, they turned to face them again.

"I can't believe that they're still going to fight!" Garet said, obviously shocked.

"Let's take them out one by one, before they all recover and get out of the rubble!" Isaac suggested.

They lunged at the two charging wolves, Garet launching another fireball at them. Isaac, he didn't know how he did it, but he created and launched a stone spire out of thin air at them. He must have created it with his Psynergy. The two wolves were stopped in their tracks by this and knocked to ground, they stone spire shattering into dust and the fireball exploding in a wave of flames, but they weren't yet dead. Just as they were getting up Isaac used his sword to kill one of them, stabbing it through the heart and Garet decapitated the other with his axe.

With those two dead, they looked with horror to see that the remaining four were now all out and attempting to circle them. They seemed to be more intelligent than normal wolves, two going for Isaac on and two for Garet on both sides.

Isaac used another earthquake to slow one down, crumbling the earth beneath its feet and getting it trapped in the ground. Then, turning to the other, he somehow, without knowing how, filled his blade with Psynergy, causing it to glow with a yellow glow, and sliced at the wolf, his blade passing through its flesh like a hot knife through butter.

Garet tried similar tactics. He launched a fireball at one, blowing it back a few feet. He was getting better at those fireballs. When the other wolf got near, he channelled his Psynergy through his axe and it began to glow red hot. When the wolf reached him, he struck it with all his might. The blow sent the wolf flying back in two flaming pieces.

Now only two, severely weakened wolves remained to challenge them. Isaac finished one of with his sword, Garet the other with his axe. Now all six wolves were dead and they were exhausted.

"Wow, I've never used so much Psynergy in one go like that." Garet muttered in between heavy breaths. The Elders and their parents always insisted that they go slow with their training, so that they don't hurt themselves, or someone else, but they didn't seem to have much choice now. Now they needed to learn hard and fast.

"Yes, we seem to be getting the hang of using them without thinking about what we are going to do beforehand." Isaac replied.

"Well, let's get back to the camp." Garet suggested.

"Sure," Isaac agreed, "But from now on, we should take turns keeping watch to make sure nothing like this happens again."

They had both come close to dying that night, and Isaac didn't want to take chances.

Garet agreed and Isaac volunteered to go first.

In the distance, Mount Aleph rumbled ominously, and hurled more rocks into the sky, but none fell near where the two young Adepts slept.

-

They only changed over once during the night before it was morning and they were both equally refreshed from the previous night's battle when the sun rose.

They had a quick breakfast before getting ready to be moving again. They continued following the road to Vault without seeing anyone. Isaac estimated that sometime today they should reach this town of Vault. They started going over a few small hills, which were in their way along the road. They noticed that there were a few farming settlements out here, and they were getting more and more frequent as they journeyed further and further. They were slowly reaching the top of the hill that Isaac hoped was the last one in their way.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Garet mumbled, "We've been walking all day now! Soon it will be afternoon and we'll have to start thinking about camping again!"

"Relax Garet." Isaac replied, "We must be almost there now. Just a bit further."

They topped the hill finally to see their destination laid out before them. The town of Vault.

**A/N:** And that's done! What'd ya think? As per usual, direct all questions, comments, critiques, etc. to Master of Reality via review. (c'mon… that's the standard tradition of this site!)


	6. Mysterious Powers

**A/N:** And here we have it, another chapter, not as quickly as I intended. I've spent a while doing this… but, I dunno… its still doesn't seem quite right to me. Maybe I'm just being a bit overly self-critical, but there were some bits that just looked a little rushed. But it could be me.

Anyway, you may notice some slight changes to the storyline here, mostly just to make things more realistic. Nothing real major, though. The biggest of all only involves Hammet not going to Lunpa, but instead to Bilibin. I mean, come on! If you were a rich, powerful lord and merchant, and you couldn't get back to Kalay from Vault, do you a) go to the city of thieves, Lunpa, or b) go to the relatively safe city of Bilibin? Don't worry, he still gets kidnapped along the way by road raiders, so the plot line still works out, just slight minor changes.

Oh yeah, I know have a really big announcement to make regarding the story. Something I meant to mention least chapter, but of course, forgot, silly me. Some of you may have noticed, but only one reader mentioned it. The Djinn. I'm making a HUGE change here… and removing them from the story.

Why? Well, for me, basically they don't translate well to story format. I mean, it's just easier to write without them, than with them, for me. Personally, I think the story is better without them, but that's just me. Not that they aren't good in other fics, just this one it didn't work out for me. And some of them would be impossible to include because they are so out of the way. Besides, how many times do you read fics where they are mysteriously not mentioned, just don't exist? Lots, probably. But again, my opinions only.

Hopefully you don't mind the change. Keep on reading, and hopefully you'll like it. Or not. Your reviews will tell me (hint hint)

Yeah, enough of my rambling. Here's to those reviewers.

**Spirit Seer: **Thanks for all your praise! That makes me happy! Only ONE misspelled word? Cool, I'm getting better with my re-reading! I'm glad you like the length and detail, I plan to try and keep that up the whole way through. Thanks for reviewing!

**J: **Sorry, no Djinn, forgot to mention it. But I'm so glad you at least pointed it out, otherwise I would have forgotten to tell everyone in this chapter, lol!

**GoldenSunGeek: **I'm glad you liked the whole Felix scene, I worked hard on that! I want to throw in some more later on as well, in other chapters, so keep your eyes peeled! If you like reading that side of the story, check out _"Through the Other Eyes"_ by jedigrl2001. Seriously, great fic from other POV. Also glad you also liked the Wolf battle, I wanted to put in something with some action. Hopefully the fight scene here is as good!(I think it's shorter though)

**Favri the Fisher: **I'm glad you also liked the monster battles, I try to make them good. Hopefully others are also as good. Good that you don't mind delays, 'coz life is sure to give me plenty!

**Disclaimer: **Note to readers: I.O.U 1 Disclaimer.

And, we're off!

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**MYSTERIOUS POWERS**

Vault was a large town, twice a large as Vale, with some houses having as many as two or three floors and supposedly populated by three times as many people. And that didn't count the various farming settlements scattered around the countryside.

The town itself was on top of a large hill, with a few steep cliff faces at some of the border edges of the town. Wooden palisade walls marked all the other borders, with a few gates placed in them to allow travellers to go in and out freely.

Isaac stood there impressed. He hadn't imagined something this big. And this was only a small farming town! He couldn't wait to see what some of the bigger cities looked like.

As they approached the city gates, a convoy of wagons came out pulled by a team of horses. Isaac recognized them as merchants, by their elaborate, expensive looking clothing.

"We can't stay another second in a place as dangerous as here!" A man who appeared to be the leader said, as though in reply to something someone had just said to him."We return to Kalay immediately."

_Dangerous?_ Isaac wondered, _What could be dangerous about Vault?_

"Master Hammet," one of the merchants began to the leader, "I have just heard the news! The bridge to the south has been destroyed by a falling rock!"

Isaac knew exactly what that meant. During their two-day trip, Mount Aleph had been rather unstable, launching hot rocks and Psynergy stones into the air at irregular intervals. He hoped that that would subside in the future. It had been somewhat of a tense journey, although no immediate danger seemed to have threatened them apart from the wolves.

"What? The bridge? We can't cross the river to the south then, if this is true..." the man who Isaac took to be Hammet replied, "How are we going to get to Kalay now? Somehow, we need to get across the river, but I know well enough that the bridge was the only way. Hmm…"

"Master Hammet," the man started, sounding concerned, "What, with that unstable volcano to the north, do you think it's really a good idea to leave Ivan behind?"

"I agree." A third Merchant added, "After that little incident with the thieves, even I'm convinced that this place is too dangerous for us merchants. There's no point staying behind if our wares are stolen before we can make a profit."

"Indeed, Ivan is very much like a son to me…" Hammet replied, "However, he _was_ supposed to be looking after my valued rod when it was stolen, so it is his responsibility to retrieve it. I'm sure his strange powers will help..."

"Strange powers?" the man asked, sounding confused.

Strange powers? That was interesting. Could he mean that this Ivan person, whoever he was, was an Adept? But Adepts supposedly only existed in Vale.

"I mean…" Hammet stammered, "He… he's a smart lad. Strange powers of ingenuity that one… a smart kid like him will be quite alright." That sounded to Isaac like an excuse, as though he were covering up some sort of secret.

Suddenly another rock fell from the sky and landed with a loud boom some distance from the town.

"This place is getting more dangerous!" Hammet cried, "It's only a matter of time till one of those rocks hits Vault! Let us leave, now!"

"But to where? Where can we go?" the man asked.

Hammet shook his head disappointedly.

"We have no choice. We must head to the east, make for the city of Bilibin."

"Excellent choice, Lord Hammet, there we can sell the rest of our wares, the take the long route to Kalay."

"But that road will take us dangerously close to Lunpa…" the third merchant moaned, "You've heard the rumours of bandits and road raiders… why, we could very well wind up imprisoned in Lunpa itself…"

They continued on their way and quickly passed out of earshot.

"What do you think that was all about?" Garet asked, "Whose Ivan and what strange powers were they talking about?"

"I don't know but I have a feeling I know what they might be…" Isaac replied.

"Do you think that their friend was an Adept?" Garet asked.

"I wouldn't have thought so." He replied, "I thought Adepts were only born in Vale. But after seeing Saturos and Menardi and their Alex friend… I don't know. Anyway, it doesn't matter; we have to find the nearest Inn and see if anyone has seen those two thieves and knows where they're going."

"Sounds like it's possible that there are more than two thieves in this area…" Garet mused, "We'll have to be more specific."

"Well, how many people are there that match Saturos and Menardi's description?" Isaac countered, "They look pretty unique, no matter where they go."

"Yeah, you're right. We'll ask around."

They started exploring the town looking for an Inn, seeing what Vault looked from the inside. The buildings seemed just like any that he would have expected to find in Vale, wooden walls, thatched roofing. But they were bigger. And there were more of them. People bustled the streets, more than he would have ever seen in Vale. And this was supposed to just be a simple, quiet town.

After asking directions from a few of the locals, they found the only Inn that was available in Vault.

They reached the Vault Inn, a small modest building, but still bigger than most of the nearby houses next to it. It seemed, some of the smaller rocks from Aleph had already affected Vault, there was a large burned out hole in the roof of the Inn. Isaac and Garet entered.

It was nicely furnished, with a few chairs and tables surrounding a fireplace in the common room. They met the Innkeeper, a round, friendly looking man and asked for a room.

"Fourteen coins for one night for the two of you." He said. Isaac handed over the money; it was a small portion of what they had, but it was still better than camping out.

"By the way, you might want to be careful about your stuff around here these days." The Innkeeper warned them, "Our establishment takes no responsibility for items stolen during your stay here."

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked, puzzled.

"Well, during that big impressive eruption recently," he explained, "everyone went outside to look at it, it was real awe inspiring, and they all left their doors and such open, they were so mesmerized by it. Round here, no ones worries about one another crossing each other."

_Sounds like Vale._ Isaac figured, _Maybe the outside world isn't so dangerous after all._

"Anyway, some heartless individuals went on a big robbery spree and stole a whole lot of stuff. Horrible. Right in the middle of a disaster!"

"You mean this whole town's been robbed?" Garet exploded, "Did they find out who it was?"

"No, they didn't. But a lot of people have lost something. They even took the mayor's family urn and our Sanctum's golden statue. But worst of all, for me at least, they stole Master Hammett's special rod. It had a great deal of sentimental value to him. He was so angry that his servant, Ivan, who has to look after it, had lost it, that he ordered him to stay in Vault until he had found it again."

He finished with a sigh.

"Sadly, I don't think that he will be able to find it, or any of the other stuff that was lost. We can't find the thieves, so we'll just have to do without I suppose."

Ivan. That was the man that the merchant Hammett was talking about. The one with the supposed mysterious powers.

"I can't believe that!" Garet spat, "Stealing in the middle of a disaster?"

"Ah, we all feel the same way." The innkeeper reassured him, "But still, if I were you, I would keep an eye out."

"Well, thank you for the warning at least." Isaac said, "We'll keep an eye on our stuff."

"Hey, do you know if a couple of weird looking strangers stopped by here recently?" Garet asked, "Go by the names of Saturos and Menardi? They were travelling with others called Felix, Alex, Jenna and Kraden."

"I'm sorry, friend, but I can't talk about customers with others. Inn policy." Innkeeper smiled apologetically, "Customers like their privacy and we respect that. I'm sure you understand."

"Sure." Isaac nodded, secretly wishing that they would be able to find out something.

"But it might be in your best interest!" Garet pleaded, "I'll bet _they_ were the ones who went out on that stealing spree!"

"That's impossible!" the Innkeeper replied, "They arrived the day after the eruption, and left the very next day!" Suddenly, he realized what he had just said, and spluttered, "I'm sorry, I mean… uh, you didn't hear any of that."

"Can you tell us where they went?" Garet pleaded quickly.

"No, I must politely ask you not to enquire further."

"I understand." Isaac nodded, stepping in before Garet said anything further, "Thanks for your time." Then he dragged his friend away before anything else was added. "I could have found out!" Garet insisted glumly.

"No, you couldn't." Isaac replied in a no nonsense tone.

They made their way to their room, a small cosy little place with two beds and a table next to the fireplace.

They dumped their stuff on the floor and had a look around.

"Hey, these beds are fairly comfy!" Garet said, immediately lying down on one.

"I'm sure they are," Isaac replied, "But right now, we have to find what happened with Saturos and Menardi."

"Hey, I want to see this Ivan kid and see what kind of powers he has." Garet told him, sounding more like an excited kid wanting to explore.

"Well, if we have time we might do it later." Isaac said, focusing on their quest at hand, sounding more like the mature adult in this situation. This whole quest was forcing him to grow up quickly.

They went down stairs again into the common room and Isaac told Garet to wait a moment while he had a word with one of the serving maids in the room. Maybe they'd be more talkative.

"Excuse me ma'am," He asked one, "but did you have a party of six travellers in here recently? Two, a man and a women, looked real strange, almost as they were inhuman, another a guy with long blue hair, a guy with long brown hair, an old man and a red haired girl." He finished, describing them.

The serving maid knew straight away whom he was talking about. You couldn't forget a bunch like that.

"Yes, they left only this morning, real early." She replied, "I remember one of the guys was real insistent on buying Master Hammett's special rod off him, but Hammett wouldn't part with it. Seems a bit suspicious that it went missing last night after that conversation. But the guards at the gate would have checked all their possessions on their way out, to make sure they didn't have any thing that had been stolen and they let them go so they must be innocent."

"Did they mention where they were going?" Isaac asked quickly.

"No, not that I heard of. Why do you want to know? They can't be the thieves, we're pretty sure that they're still in Vault. Did they take something of yours?"

"Well, uh… yeah." Isaac replied, "We need to get it back of them."

"Well, head on over to the Mayors house," she replied, going very in depth with her answer, "they got a list of all the stuff possessed by travellers leaving Vault, so people can see if any of their missing stuff has left town I presume. Even Hammett's servant, Ivan, is there, poor kid. Really wants his master's rod back. The mayor has kindly let him stay at his house until he finds it. If you go there, you might be able to find if that group still has your stuff, and maybe even where they are going."

"Thank you for your help," Isaac replied, "I'll go do that."

He found Garet over by the kitchen seeing what they were cooking for dinner. _He never seems to stop thinking about food_, Isaac thought to himself. The cook was telling the red haired boy that they hadn't decided, and would tell him later on when they started cooking.

"Come on, Garet." Isaac said. "Leave the poor cook alone."

"Where are we going, then?" Garet asked.

"To the mayor's office. While we're there, maybe we can see this Ivan, whoever he is."

"Yeah, he sounds like he might be an Adept or something." Garet replied. Isaac winced inwardly. At least no-one was around to have heard the comment. Garet needed to remember not to mention things about Psynergy or their quest out in the open.

"Be quiet about stuff like that you big idiot…" Isaac scolded quietly, with a slight smile, not really meaning the insult of course.

Dragging the big Mars Adept away from the kitchen, they quickly asked the Innkeeper where they could find the Mayor's house. He pointed them in the right direction, it wasn't to far away, and they could see it from the window where they were.

Making sure Garet was following and not side tracked by the smell of food from the kitchen, Isaac headed out the Inn and down the dirt path of Vault towards the mayor' house.

As they left the building, Isaac noticed that there was ladder up against the side of the Inn. A man stood atop the ladder looking down at a major hole in the roof, complaining to himself about having to repair it. Isaac knew from personal experience what that felt like.

_Hopefully, they won't hit us in our sleep. _He thought to himself.

They quickly reached the mayor's house, a larger, more impressive looking building atop one of the small hills in the town. They weren't any guards at the doors and they were free to enter. It seemed almost to be more of a town hall than a home. Inside there were a few people, some desperate looking citizens talking to armoured guards looking at papers, assumedly trying to find or report lost possessions stolen during the eruption. There were some official looking people standing around talking with other citizens and what appeared to be the mayor, an old, friendly looking man with a walking stick and wearing fine garments. He was talking with some blonde haired kid who was wearing purple and green robes with yellow embroidery.

"Oh okay, if that's the case I'll just wait a little while longer." The blonde kid said, before walking to a corner of the room to sit at a table next to a window overlooking the town. He had probably been talking with the man about lost possessions. These robberies must have been on a real large scale.

"You know, maybe we should have asked what Ivan looked like while we were at the Inn." Isaac mused to himself. They didn't even know who it was they were looking for.

"Well, it's too late now." Garet shrugged. Normally he was the one to forget things. "We'll just have to ask."

"Excuse me sir," Isaac said to the man who he thought to be the mayor, "You must be the mayor."

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?" The mayor replied in a friendly voice.

"My name is Isaac and this is my friend Garet. We were just travelling through, and noticed that you seem to be suffering some troubled times lately." Isaac said trying to start conversation. It was always polite to introduce yourself to the mayor first.

"Oh yes," the mayor replied, "First the volcano erupting to the north and now these robberies. And there are still rocks coming down from the sky because of that eruption on Mount Aleph. You know, a very wealthy and important merchant came through here recently and had his valued rod stolen. He was a very important, respected man. Left his servant behind to find it for him. Poor Ivan, he's sitting over there," he gestured to the blonde kid sitting by the window, "not much he can do to help him I'm afraid."

Isaac looked at the kid, eager to talk with him to see if he really was an Adept. But it would have to wait. That maid had insinuated that it was Saturos who had stolen the rod, even though they hadn't found it on him. Isaac was curious about this and decided he'd better ask about it.

"Recently some stuff of ours was stolen from out of town by a bunch of thieves." Isaac started, "We heard they came through here, and wanted to have a look at the stuff they had."

"And what were their names?" the mayor asked. Isaac told him. The mayor called for a servant, spoke with him quickly. The servant left, then came back a short time later with a slip of parchment with ink writing upon it.

"Ah, here we go, let's see… food and weapons… the usual stuff. The only unique things in their possession were four coloured, expensive orbs. Lucky those didn't get stolen."

_Four_ orbs? They had the Venus, Mercury and Jupiter Stars, but what was that fourth? Probably nothing worth worrying about.

"Did they have a rod on them?" Garet queried further.

"No, no rod. Why, you think they took Hammet's rod? Looking to earn yourselves a reward are you?" He smiled humorously.

"Uh, yeah, that's it." Isaac lied, not wanting to arouse any suspicion.

"Well, it's most likely with the same thieves who took everything else. If you want a real reward, try catching them." He chuckled slightly at the thought of these two kids doing such a deed. "If you really want to find the rod, try talking to Ivan over there."

"Okay, maybe we might do that." Isaac replied, "Just one last thing, does that paper say where the group headed off to?"

"No, sorry." The mayor shook his head, "Only that they left through the south gate."

"Okay then, thanks for your time anyway." Isaac replied, filing away that little piece of information. It could possibly prove useful later on.

_Maybe,_ Isaac mused silently, _Saturos and Menardi were the ones to destroy that bridge… to cover their tracks. Who knows?_

They walked over to where Ivan was sitting. As soon as Isaac laid eyes on him, he could sense that Ivan was indeed an Adept. It was the same thing that he could sense from everyone else in Vale, although he'd never noticed it until he met the non-Adepts of Vault.

"Hey, kid, are you Ivan?" Garet asked in a friendly manner. Ivan looked up curiously.

"Yes." He answered meekly, somewhat shyly.

Before they could say a word more to him, his body suddenly began to glow with the bluish glow of Psynergy and he focused his eyes on them intently. Isaac and Garet were both a bit taken aback.

_Are these the strange powers the boy possesses? _Isaac wondered _the same powers me and Garet have?_

"You… know of my strange powers?" Ivan asked quietly after he ceased, "And you have them to? I'm sure that was what I could sense as soon as I saw you." He had a pleasant, young, friendly voice of someone who was still a kid. It was obvious just from talking to him that he was harmless.

"Yes, that is true." Isaac replied, thinking of his Psynergy power.

_This kid has the power of Psynergy _he thought, _and yet he doesn't even realise what it is._

Ivan focused his power on them again.

"What? My power… it's called Psynergy? I had no idea!" Ivan said again after a brief pause, almost as though he had read Isaac's mind. Wait, but how else could he have known what he was thinking?

"How did you know that, did you read my mind?" Isaac asked a little shocked.

"Yes, it's a mysterious power that I've had since I was a child." Ivan replied, this time without using his Psynergy on Isaac, "Wow, we have so much in common! I can't believe this! I never thought I'd find someone else like me! Someone who even knows more about this than I do! You… you must be the only ones who can help me." He cleared his throat. "I have a severe problem; my Master Hammet's rod was stolen."

"Yeah, we heard all about that." Garet nodded.

"Our powers can help us, would you please help me get my Master Hammet's rod back?"

Isaac and Garet thought about it for a moment. This time Ivan didn't focus Psynergy on them, he obviously wasn't mind reading. An Adept outside of Vale! If he was an Adept, then of what element? Isaac couldn't think of any elemental Psynergy that allowed someone to mind read. No one in Vale had that ability. Then again, a lot of abilities had been forgotten since the Lost Age.

But Ivan was in trouble because of something that they'd done. It was their duty to rectify the situation that they had caused. And Isaac really wanted to learn more about this incredible Mind Read ability they had just witnessed.

"Sure we'll help." Isaac replied.

"We Adepts have got to help each other out, don't we?" Garet added.

"Thank you, with your help, I think we'll be able to recover the rod." He paused again for a moment. "What are your names?" He focused Psynergy on them again, "Isaac and Garet." Garet took a defensive step back.

"How on Weyard can you do that?"

"Your afraid of my power to read minds, aren't you?" Ivan asked sounding a little hurt. "Is it really… is my Mind Read so scary?"

Isaac and Garet both nodded without letting him Mind Read again.

"It's not exactly something that I've ever encountered before." Isaac told him cautiously. "I mean, I never even knew it was possible! This is incredible! But reading minds really does invade your privacy, you know?"

"I understand." Ivan sighed dejectedly. "Wait, I have an idea… maybe you won't be so afraid if you know what it's like." He grabbed Isaac's hand and linked his Psynergy with him somehow, then used his mind read on Garet.

_Hey… Stop reading my mind, Ivan… I really don't like this… _Garet's thoughts entered Isaac's head as Garet took another step back to vainly avoid the Ivan's power.

"Hey, would you mind asking the next time you do that?"

"So, Isaac, could you hear what Garet was thinking inside your head?" Ivan asked him.

"Yes, I could hear everything." Isaac replied.

"Just as I thought…" Ivan replied thoughtfully.

"What? You read my mind to Isaac?" Garet cried, a little insulted, "That's invasion of privacy, like you said! Leave my thoughts alone!"

"I guessed that I could help you read minds if we shared our Psynergy." Ivan told Isaac matter of factly. He seemed to be a very clever kid. "I'm not quite sure how I knew… it was just an instinctive thing, I guess."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Garet cried, "Why do you get to read my mind?"

"You're right," Ivan replied, "It's not fair to read one-way. Try it out on Isaac."

So Ivan and Garet linked their power and Ivan used Mind Read on Isaac.

_Hey, is this Mind Read thing working? _Isaac thought to himself, so they could hear.

"Whoa! I did it!" Garet exclaimed excited, "I read your mind, Isaac! That was unbelievable! Just imagine the things you could do with the power to read minds!"

"We can use this power to find the thieves!" Ivan suggested.

"Wait a second, wont people notice we're using Psynergy?" Garet asked.

"Yeah, that might make things a little difficult." Isaac added.

"Oh I see, you two can tell when I'm using Psynergy?" Ivan guessed.

"Of course we can." Garet replied.

"Why wouldn't we?" Isaac asked.

"Isaac, both you and Garet are Adepts." Ivan replied, "And so am I, it turns out. I'm guessing that's why you can tell when I'm reading your mind. I've noticed throughout my life that ordinary people can't see anything. There's nothing to worry about."

Of course. Isaac could never see nor sense the power of Psynergy as a kid until he began his Adept training. Not being able to see or sense Psynergy was always something that he had associated with as being a child. He'd forgotten that real people, out in the outside world, were unable to see such things.

"Don't worry, I won't read your minds against your will again." Ivan reassured them. "It's not fair, really, I guess. It really is a lot different when the other person knows what's happening!"

"How come you've never tried reading minds to find the thieves?" Garet asked, "That'd be the first thing that I'd do."

"Well, to be honest, I've never really had the courage to just walk up to people and just start asking about the recent robberies. Remember, I can only read the thoughts that are currently on your mind. And, because I have to be very close to read someone's mind. Besides, it is not easy to just walk up to some one, Mind Read, and walk off. I need someone to help, to talk to the person. But I hadn't met any one in Vault I could trust until you two."

"Well never fear, I'm not afraid of asking people a few questions!" Garet responded proudly.

"Well, where should we start?" Isaac asked.

"I've seen some suspicious looking characters around lately, who I think we should check out." Ivan told him, "I'm a lot more confident of confronting them with you two. You look like you know how to fight."

"Well, we've really only been in one battle before…" Isaac confessed.

"Hey, let's go check out the town anyway." Garet suggested. Together, the three Adepts left the house, to explore the town.

Suddenly, Isaac realised that they had been talking about reading minds and Psynergy out in the open carelessly, without thinking about being overheard. He voiced his concerns to the group.

"No one heard us." Ivan reassured them, "I was looking. I'm very paranoid about talking about my powers, so I naturally keep a close eye on the look out."

As they were walking down the slowly emptying streets of Vault, they found a man with unkempt, jet black hair, standing nearby who Ivan told them had been staying at the Inn when he was with Master Hammett. They were there that night the Rod went missing.

"I think we should have a look at what he's got to hide." Ivan suggested, "I always had my suspicions about him.

"Why not? He sure looks suspicious." Garet replied.

"Alright then, I'll walk up and start the conversation." Isaac told them, "Be ready to read his mind Ivan." Once again, he was being a bit of a leader here unintentionally. Well, someone had to organise things he supposed. Besides, there was no time now for apologising for giving orders.

Isaac casually strolled up to the man, still trying to think of what he would say, while Ivan and Garet followed behind. The man immediately began glowering at them.

"Excuse me..." Isaac began.

"What do you want?" The man suddenly snapped, "Are you going to accuse me of stealing stuff from the town too?"

He seemed very edgy, definitely a sure sign he could be guilty.

Isaac sensed Ivan focus Psynergy on the man, the kid lightly touching Isaac's back so that he could hear the man's thoughts as well.

_What do they want? Surely they couldn't know... _His voice echoed in their head _...that isn't Hammett's whelp there with them is it?_

"No, we wouldn't think of that." Isaac replied, hoping his voice sounded smooth.

"Good, 'coz we didn't take nuthin', I swear it!" The man snapped back in reply.

_Jeez, I think they might be suspicious of us, _The man's thoughts echoed, _me an' the boys oughta get ready to bail outta town soon..._

"I gotta go..." He then muttered, and shouldered his way passed them, breaking Ivan's mind connection.

"Did you find anything out?" Garet asked, having not heard the man's thoughts.

Isaac nodded. "I'm pretty sure he and his friends are the ones." He replied.

"But we haven't got any actual proof." Ivan reminded him, "Nor do we know where they are hiding the stuff they've hidden, we need to learn more before we can act. Otherwise, it's just our word against theirs."

He had a good point. They needed to find out where the stuff was that they had gotten.

"I think it's time we headed for the Inn, to see what we can learn from his friends staying there." Garet suggested.

"Let's go then." Isaac declared, and they immediately made for the Inn down the street.

As they passed by the outside of the Inn, Isaac saw that the ladder was still leaning up against the wall, but the repair man seemed to be nowhere to be found. A woman who appeared to be one of the maids from the Inn was standing at the foot of the ladder, looking around and complaining about that 'lousy repair man already going on break'.

_I can hardly blame the man for wanting to rest. I hated working on my roof back at home, and my mother never let me rest until it was finished!_

They entered the Inn and began looking around the common room, for these 'shady characters' that Ivan had spoken of. Ivan looked around for the people he remembered. He found them again, sitting in the corner of the room, talking in hushed voices. They both had long black, unkempt hair and looked like real ruffian types. One of them noticed them coming.

"What do you want?" The one who had seen them asked rudely.

"Hey, they got that weird kid with them!" The other said, "The one that was with Hamett last night!"

"So? What do any of them want with us?"

"We just want to ask you boys if you know anything about the recent robberies around here?" Garet asked in a cocky tone of voice.

"We don't have to answer any of your questions!" The first one replied. They got up and left for their rooms.

"Hang on, you aren't going anywhere yet!" Garet stated, blocking there way in between two tables.

The first guy tried to get away and ran around Isaac, avoiding Garet, his partner did the same, but the other didn't quite get far enough away to avoid Ivan's Mind Read.

The two thieves immediately ran upstairs. A few moments later a door was hear slamming.

The three of them sat down at a table, knowing Ivan had done what he needed to do.

"Did you read his mind?" Isaac asked hopefully, making sure no one was near enough to hear. If they failed, mind reading might be even harder a second time.

"I got him!" Ivan grinned triumphantly.

"What did you find out?" Garet asked eagerly.

"It's them alright." Ivan replied, "They've taken everything that's gone missing, I think. They seem to be hiding it all in the Inn's attic."

"Why there?" Isaac questioned curiously.

"Must be abandoned." Ivan shrugged, "If no one goes up there anymore, then it would make an excellent hiding place."

"Okay then, so where would we find the door to this attic?" Garet asked. But Isaac had a brilliant idea.

"Garet, did you notice that hole in the roof when we came in?" Isaac asked, already knowing the answer, "We can just climb through there!"

"Well, now that you mention it, I did see something up there. I suppose that's our best shot."

"Well then, let's go have a look." Ivan suggested.

They left the Inn and looked up the ladder to see that the guy who was fixing the roof was still gone. The Inn maid had also left now.

"Must be still on break." Isaac thought aloud.

"Come on, I want to see if all the stuff really is up there!" Garet told them.

It was getting towards afternoon and there were less people on the streets now. There was no-one around who could have seen them. They climbed up while no one was looking and jumped down the hole. Inside they saw lots of boxes and chests up against the wall, mostly dusty, but a few new looking ones in one corner. Also there was that guy that they had seen before, now tied up with a gag in his mouth. Isaac quickly took his gag out and untied him. While he was doing that, Ivan and Garet immediately began searching the new looking chests.

"What happened?" he asked him.

The man groaned a bit before looking around and blinking a few times. It was obvious he had been knocked out and was just coming around.

"Uhnn… I came into this room while I was fixing the roof." He closed his eyes trying to remember. "Someone must have hit me from behind. When I came to, I was all tied up like this." He looked around a bit dazed.

"Strange…" he said, "I don't remember any new stuff being put up here recently."

"Looks like those kids have caught us out!" A familiar voice said. They all looked over to see the two thieves as well as the bigger older man they had seen by the mayor's house.

"You're pretty persistent for a servant boy, kid." The other thief said to Ivan.

"Why are you working to get all this stuff back?" The bigger guy asked. He seemed to be their boss or something. "What's it to you?"

"He's my master and father," Ivan told them, his quiet, childish voice now sounding very determined and serious, "And you took his Shaman's Rod. I'm here to get it back!"

"Doesn't matter, Hammet is going to get caught by a worse bunch of thieves than us!" one of them taunted, "I hear he fled to Bilibin after the eruption. We got some boys waiting along the road to rob anyone they come across. I'll bet they'll capture Hammet, and take him back to Lunpa with 'em."

"Did you say Lunpa!" The man behind them cried out. "You're thieves from Lunpa!"

"What kind of place is Lunpa?" Garet asked. Isaac wondered the same thing. He had heard some tales of the place, but they were all very old.

"None of yer business!" The boss snapped, "Let us go, and no one gets hurt!"

"No way." Isaac replied sternly. He wasn't going to be afraid of these men. His powers would protect him anyway, even if he was only very weak and not much trained.

"You thieves need to be thrown in jail." Garet added.

"You stole from my Master and now you need to pay." Ivan added, now clutching what must have been the Shaman's Rod that he found in one of the chests.

"We stole this stuff fair and square!" The boss's lackey protested, "It's ours now!"

"We'll just have to keep you quiet!" the other snarled, clutching his short sword by his side.

"And there's only one way to do that!" The boss exclaimed, "Get 'em boys!"

All three thieves drew their swords and got into fighting stances.

Isaac drew his sword and Garet got out his axe. This was going to be their first real battle against people.

Before anyone could make a move, the leader threw a round, pink thing at them.

"Here, have a sleep bomb!" He chuckled snidely.

The 'sleep bomb' exploded in a cloud of pink dust. Isaac felt himself get drowsy, but he held his breath and noticed the others do the same. He remained awake and alert enough until Ivan blew it all way with his Psynergy, using flows of air. Unfortunately, the man behind them had already fallen asleep.

Without waiting another second, Isaac launched himself at the leader and immediately got into some heavy sword fighting. Garet launched a huge bolt of flame at one of the thieves who managed to just barely avoid it. Ivan put out the flames with a gust of wind and said, "Garet, careful with your powers, we don't want to burn the Inn down!" before suddenly having to try and deflect a sword blow from the other thief with his rod.

It may have looked like it was made from twisted wood, but the rod resisted the blow like stone. Unfortunately, its wielder wasn't all that strong. The small boy fell to the ground under the blow and found himself stuck under the sharp blade of his enemy.

Meanwhile, Garet was in heavy combat with the other one. Dodging swings from the thief's sword and trying to swing his axe at him, the two just couldn't quite hit each other. Suddenly, a hard, wide swing from the thief's blade that missed hit the wall and became stuck. Garet filled his axe with power and slammed it down on the sword, completely bending it. The thief took it out only to discover it had now snapped in half. Looking up at Garet with horror, he realised he was defenceless.

The other thief, meanwhile, was about to execute Ivan with his sword when suddenly a huge gust of wind blew him real hard, right back off the boy and into the wall. But there weren't any windows around.

_How did that happen? _Isaac thought, but concentrated on deflecting blows from the bandit. He seemed unable to get in a good blow. Ivan got up and used his power to blow his adversary's sword right out of his hand, leaving him quite shocked.

Isaac wasn't doing to well against his foe. He was a much better swordsman and Isaac was growing weary. He decided to risk using his power. Filling the sword blade with power, he slammed the golden glowing blade against his enemy's sword as he made a swing at him. It all took a second and when the blades collided, the boss's sword shattered apart, bits flying completely out of the hands of its owner. The boss took a step back to his two companions. They were quite a troublesome trio they were up against.

Isaac thought carefully how they could deal with these enemies. He couldn't use any powerful Psynergy moves without risking damage to the Inn or killing his foes and neither could Garet. Suddenly a huge whirlwind picked up around the three thieves swirling them round and round until they all hit the wall with a deafening thud. Isaac looked to see that Ivan had created that.

"You must be a Jupiter Adept, I take it." Isaac said to him. Only they could control the power of the wind.

"A what? I don't know what you're talking about." Ivan replied. "And how did Garet make those flame? I want to learn to do that to."

Obviously Ivan hadn't learned about the four elements. There wasn't time to discuss it further though. They looked to they're defeated enemies and smiled. Isaac then woke guy who first entered the attic and he noticed their victory.

"How the heck did they do that!" one of the thieves asked himself in disbelief.

"There was no way they could have defeated us!" Garet boasted loudly, "We're just too powerful!"

"What are you people?" one of the other thieves groaned, as he lay on the floor, "That wasn't human!"

"Wow! You got them!" The repairman smiled, after waking up, as he noticed their victory. Lucky he hadn't seen they're powers, which would have been a bit hard to explain. The thieves had of course, but who would believe them? It would just sound like they were making excuses for their defeat.

"I'll get the mayor and tell him what's happened!" the repairman then declared, and he ran off out the door, up the ladder and out of the attic.

"After all the trouble we went to stealing this stuff…" The leader groaned.

"I told you!" one of them groaned to his companions on the ground, unable to move, "I told you we should have skipped town."

"Evil never prevails!" Garet declared loudly and boastfully. He was clearly very proud to have defeated some bad guys.

"I'm sure you thieves will get locked up for a long time." Isaac told them.

"Well, now that I've got Master Hammet's rod back, I'll be heading off to find him, see if he really did wind up in Lunpa." Ivan told his companions in a grave tone. "What will you two be doing?"

"I suppose we have to go after Saturos and the others." Isaac replied, "after we find out where they went at least."

A curious look swept Ivan's face and he started using his Mind Read on him again.

"He's reading your minds again!" Garet exclaimed uncomfortably, "Don't you want to stop him?"

"No, I don't have any secrets that I want to hide from him." Isaac replied calmly, with a shrug.

He left his mind open for whatever he was trying to learn, waiting a few seconds before Ivan ceased.

"I see…" Ivan said, "So that's what happened." He finished, obviously referring to their quest.

"Next time you want to know something," Isaac told him casually, "Just ask. I don't mind sharing things with those that I trust."

"Sorry," Ivan replied, "But Mind Read was quicker. If I focus carefully for a longer time, and your mind is open, I can actually find out a lot more than just what you're thinking."

"These are the thieves, mayor!" A familiar voice explained behind them.

In entered the repairman from before, they still didn't know his name, and the mayor with a few of the town guards, armoured men with short swords, the policeman in this situation. They must have been right nearby for them to have gotten there so quickly.

"So _these _are the thieves! What you did was horrid!" The mayor snapped looking at the defeated thieves lying on the ground, with a disgusted voice, "Stealing! In the middle of a disaster! Don't you have _any _morals!"

"Hey, it's your fault for being so careless! You left your doors open!" The boss thief replied, "You were practically begging us to-ouch! Hey!" He was suddenly interrupted by one of the guards starting to tie him up, 'accidentally' being a little too rough.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself!" The soldier smiled at the mayor, who made no move to reprimand him, given the situation.

"What should we do with them?" Another soldier asked.

"We're going to lock them up for a long, long time." The mayor said in complete control of the situation.

The soldiers had no trouble tying up the thieves, who had no strength left to resist even if they wanted to, and they picked them up of the ground and marched them out of the room. Before they left, the boss thief looked to Isaac and said, "Hey, you! Your name's Isaac, right? I won't forget this!" and then he was gone.

"Somehow, I think that was just an empty threat." Isaac nodded with a smile.

"Thanks for catching those awful thieves." The mayor told them, "You have our sincerest gratitude."

"It's okay, it was no problem." Isaac humbly replied.

"Those guys were easy to beat anyway!" Garet replied boastfully, which was a slight exaggeration.

"I couldn't have done it without my Master's rod." Ivan explained.

"Now, let's take a look at what they stole." The mayor said as he began investigating the chests.

He started sifting through one of them, with the soldiers investigating the others, when he produced a golden, precious looking urn from the chest.

"I've finally found my precious urn!" The mayor beamed.

One of the soldiers brought out a golden statue of some wise looking man that must have been very old.

"Hey, that belongs in the town sanctum!" He mayor cried out, "They stole the sanctum statue too! Those immoral monsters!"

"Well, it looks like Ivan managed to get Hammet's Shaman's Rod back at least!" one of the soldiers noticed.

"Ah, now you can go see your master again!" The mayor said to Ivan, "I hear he headed east to Bilibin. But there have been rumours that Dodonpa's men patrol the roads around there. I fear for Hammet's safety."

"I hope for the best." Ivan sighed, "But I'm not up for visiting Lunpa just yet. That place is way too dangerous. Tomorrow, I'll head for Bilibin, to see if Hammet's there. If not…" He didn't finish his grim statement.

The mayor turned to Ivan's two companions.

"Isaac and Garet, wasn't it?" He asked. They both nodded. "Thank you both. You have my deepest gratitude. I suppose you want to get going now. But before you leave town, please come and see me when we've finished with this mess here. I will have your reward ready."

They left the Inn attic and stood outside getting some fresh air. It sure had been stuffy in there.

"What a mess that was." Garet complained, "I'm glad that's all over. I don't intend on playing hero to every city we visit."

"I just want to see Master Hammet again." Ivan replied, "That's all. But it is going to be dangerous heading to Bilibin, I couldn't ask you two to help me; you have a very important mission, don't you?"

Isaac nodded.

"That's right I saw it in your mind." Ivan replied, "I had no idea the volcanoes eruption held such a secret!"

"We have to find Saturos and his gang, or else they will release a terrible power that could destroy Weyard." Isaac said.

"Well, we can still hang around for a bit." Ivan replied, "You guys are staying here the night aren't you? We can talk a bit more about things!"

"Yeah, that'd be good. I'd like to learn more about your powers!" Garet said.

"And I want to know about yours. Like how you made those flames!" Ivan replied.

"Let's go inside!" Isaac suggested before they got into the long story of how the elements worked, "It's almost dinner time and we can talk over that. I'll bet Garet's already starving!" he laughed.

They all entered the Inn ready to discuss the situation and become life long friends.

After dinner, in which Garet ate almost twice as much as Isaac did, and Ivan learned a bit about his incredible appetite, they settled down to talk. First they got to know each other a bit more. As it turned out Ivan was fifteen years old, older than he looked, and had lived with Master Hammet his whole life, having been adopted as a baby.

He had worked as his servant ever since he was only a baby, but he didn't mind, for Hammet was a father figure for him, and looked after him very well, as his expensive looking robes testified. Then they took a while to discuss with Ivan about the elements and how there were four Adept types, Earth (Venus), Wind (Jupiter), Fire (Mars) and Water (Mercury), explaining that Isaac was Venus, so he couldn't summon any decent attack without destroying the Inn or killing his foes, for that stone spire attack would've killed them for sure, and Garet was Mars, which is why he could create those flames. It was obvious now that Ivan was a Jupiter Adept by his control over the wind, but how he knew Mind Read was puzzling. No one in Vale had that ability, not even any of the Elders who were Jupiter Adepts. He claimed to have developed the ability as a kid and his powers had always been incredibly powerful. Perhaps Mind Read was a skill that had been lost after the Lost Age and Ivan had somehow rediscovered it, they all reasoned. The Elders did claim that the Jupiter Adepts of old once had strange, mysterious abilities that were incredibly useful more than they were powerful. So perhaps this was one of them. Eventually the topic turned to Lunpa, the city of thieves.

"What exactly is with this place?" Garet asked. "Why is it so dangerous now?"

Ivan explained that, approximately 150 years ago, Lunpa the Righteous Thief had founded a village along the edge of the mountain ranges that Vale also lived by. Isaac had heard stories before about Lunpa the Righteous Thief, who took from the rich and gave to the poor, helping many people on his travels. He was an incredibly famous legend, a hero.

After he founded the village, a great castle was carved into the mountain, all underground, making it a very formidable home. Eventually, Lunpa supposedly disappeared mysteriously and his son Donpa took over for many years after that, and they were all righteous thieves who helped keep the lands safe from evildoers. But when Dodonpa took over, several years ago, he started recruiting all the evil thieves that they were supposed to fight. Bandits, mercenaries and bounty hunters all filled the ranks of his newly formed Lunpa army. Even the thieves that had been in Lunpa before soon became evil.

Dodonpa had been harassing all the citizens of Lunpa, forcing them to obey his rule, conscripting their young men into his army and forcing the people to pay heavy taxes and hand over all valuable possessions.

The nearby cities, Vault, Bibilin and Kalay, had been vehemently opposed to Dodonpa's cruel reign, Kalay the most so.

The fact that this merchant, Hammet, Lord of Kalay was travelling the region made him a valuable target for kidnapping.

Isaac and Garet were very surprised to learn that Hammett was a leader, a lord, of a rich and powerful town. He apparently came under the guise of a merchant so as to avoid notice outside of his homeland, so he could sell goods and make the money he needed to remain ruler of Kalay.

And this left them discussing with Ivan how he was going to get to Bilibin if the roads were no longer safe. Isaac would have offered to help, but they had a far more important quest to lead for now. It was only if they were to head to Bilibin also that they could go with Ivan. That was when Garet got a good idea.

"Come with me for a second, Ivan." He said, getting up and moving towards the Innkeeper. Garet asked once more where Saturos had gone, and again was told that he couldn't say, but this time while Ivan was mind reading.

When he came back, they were both grinning proudly.

"Saturos and Menardi are headed for the Goma Mountain Ranges." Garet told Isaac, "Which is along the way to Bilibin. Looks like Ivan can come with us for a little while!"

Eventually, Ivan had to leave to spend his last night in Vault at the mayor's house where he was a guest and thanked them for their hospitality. They all agreed to meet the next morning at the town gates, before heading to Bilibin.

After a good nights sleep, Isaac and Garet were ready to leave on their journey. They'd stopped by the mayor's house to see him, although Ivan wasn't around for some reason, he'd left earlier to meet the thieves in their prison.

The mayor was most glad to see the people who had caught the thieves, and thanked them profusely.

He gave them a heavy purse filled with gold coins. "Spend it on something nice." He told them, "You deserve it for they way you helped us out!" Isaac gratefully accepted it, although most likely it would all be spent on their long quest. Then they left to meet Ivan.

Isaac and Garet were waiting at the town gates, which were no longer policed now that the thieves had been caught, for Ivan to arrive. He came hurrying down the street with his pack on his back and his mop of blonde hair not quite properly brushed just yet.

"Sorry I'm late." He said, "I had a few things to take care of before I left."

"That's okay, we were here early anyway." Isaac replied.

"You know, on my way here, I took the opportunity to visit those thieves in prison." He said, "I wanted to know why they would take something like my rod, when it has no real value. They wouldn't say, but I read their minds anyway. Apparently some guy named Saturos payed them to take it and give it to him in Bilibin. They were going to leave when things had calmed down in Vault. Even they didn't know why he wanted it so bad though." He finished explaining.

"So, he wanted that thing as well?" Garet asked, "Why the heck would he have wanted that?"

"Well, it doesn't matter now. I got it back and now I have to rescue my master." Ivan replied.

"Yes and we have to stop Saturos and his gang or else we'll all be in trouble" Isaac replied.

"But… I won't be going with you." Ivan told them sadly.

"Why not?" Garet asked.

"The mayor of Vault just received a message from Lunpa this morning by carrier pigeon. They captured Master Hammet and his group near the Goma Ranges. They're holding him ransom."

"They did!" Garet spat incredulously, "I can't believe that!"

"So what are you going to do now, Ivan?" Isaac asked feelings sorry for the kid.

"Well, I can't go back to Kalay just yet…" the servant replied slowly, "so I'm going to Lunpa."

"Really?" Garet asked, "Even though it's a city of thieves?"

"I can handle it!" Ivan insisted, "Since taking care of those three with you, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities now!"

"Well, if that's what you want, guess we can't say anything to change your mind." Isaac shrugged, "I think you'll be fine though. You're a better fighter than you look, I'll give you that."

"So, I suppose this is good-bye then?" Ivan said sounding a little sad to leave them.

"We'll miss you, Ivan." Garet grinned at his friend.

"I shall never forget this town's hospitality," He said looking back on Vault, "I wish you all the best."

With that they all said goodbye and Ivan left along the Lunpa Road heading northeast.

"Well, I suppose we'd better get moving to." Garet said. Isaac nodded and they began heading east, towards the Goma Mountain Ranges.

"I hope we see him again sometime." Isaac said, "He was a real good kid."

"Yes," Garet agreed, "Maybe someday we'll see him again."

**A/N:** And that's done. Hey, any Zelda fans out there? If so, may I recommend "Book One: The Missing Piece" by "Post and his Power". It's very good, well written, but doesn't receive the readership it deserves (a pet peeve of mine).

Yeah, back to me, the next chapter shouldn't take too long (computer reliability pending) so keep an eye out. Also, I should have a new One-shot out soon (title undecided thus far), so be on the look out. Add on to that, me and Cyan Light will soon release a new novel entitled "Shadow Wars", a story detailing the sealing of Alchemy, with some interesting twists. Keep an eye out for it, it's going to be a very good fic (I hope!).

Okay, enough promotionalism for one day. Just review… please?


	7. The Journey Continues

**A/N: **Well, that was a pretty quick update! Actually, consider yourself lucky, this chapter was already prewritten, just needing some author polish. The next few still need polish, but I'll get there. So, you can hopefully expect some reliable, steady updates, in future, for at least a bit. I hope. Anyway, first things first, reviews! In no particular order, starting with…

**GoldenSunGeek: **You thought that it was the best chapter yet? Cool, thanx! That makes me feel better, especially seeing as I thought some parts might appear rushed, but if you liked it… anyway, hope you liked that fic I mentioned.

**Spacejoe: **Hey you! I'm glad you liked the chapter. You're right, describing Psynergy can be hard sometimes, especially in battle, but I think I've got the hang of it. And fear not, Shadow Wars is coming soon!

**The BladeShip: **Even though you only reviewed the first chappie, I'm assuming that you'll read this far. I agree, Golden Sun makes an awesome story (that's why I'm doing it!) and I would definitely pay for it without a second thought. Fear not, I finished both GS games (twice). But are you sure about the name thing? To the absolute best of my knowledge, Felix and Jenna's parents are never named. But then, I'm relying on my unreliable memory. If you do know what their proper names are, please, tell me! I'd rather have proper names than made up ones.

**CombatWombat: **I dunno if I should bother, because you're probably not gonna read this far, so I'm gonna send your reply via email. (bit nitpicky though, weren't you?)

**Jenna Wilder: **Hey, a new name on the list! Hi! Cool, you found nothing wrong with it! That's good. Yeah, I'm glad you like that I follow the story well (not doing so annoys me also). rubs where he has been poked Okay, I'm updating, see! 

(3 question mark):Sorry, for some reason, quick edit won't let me put down a question mark three times like that. Sorry! Anyway, glad you liked it. As for your question, I'm going on the theory that non-Adepts can't see the actual Psynergy being used (like the blue glow and stuff) but can see the effects of it, such as the fire burning or such. Because once the fire gets burning, it's no longer Psynergy, see? It burns on it's own. So, the effects are seeable, I guess. Well, that's my theory anyway. If anyone else has any thoughts on this subject, tell me!

**WildfireDreams:** Thank you for your glowing praise! Yes, I try to make only the right changes to make the game a good story. Thanx for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **Why do I bother? Blah blah blah, MoR doesn't own GS yadda yadda yadda.

Okay then, before I continue, can I just ask my reviewers… what do you all think of a name change? I was thinking of renaming this fic "Golden Sun: The Broken Seal", which was, I'm told, the original Japanese title. Any thoughts, feel free to mention. I was just thinking lately that the title could sound better, but that's just me.

Up, anything else? Not that I can think. Well, get reading then.

**CHAPTER SIX**

**THE JOURNEY CONTINUES**

Isaac and Garet continued heading east from Vault for several hours before deciding to have a rest at noon. Eventually they would have to start going northeast in order to reach the Goma Tunnel. On the other side they would have to go to Bilibin and hopefully find out where Saturos was heading from there, although Isaac had an idea of where that might be.

Garet was looking at a patch of rather large mushrooms on the ground. They were incredibly big and there were more of them than what would normally grow in one spot.

"You know what?" he asked, "I feel like eating some of these mushrooms here right now."

Garet bent over to grab a handful, but suddenly pulled his hand back as though something had bitten him. He jumped up with a yelp and Isaac looked over to see what was happening. Then the mushrooms seemingly looked up and opened what appeared to be beady red eyes! They even had small mouths with rows of small pointy teeth! More things that had been affected by Mount Aleph's power.

The whole dozen or so of them suddenly uprooted themselves and started running after Garet looking like they wanted to eat him! They all jumped up on him trying to attack the large Fire Adept. He flung them off in a rage and, venting all his anger, incinerated them with his firepower, a large flare of flames killing them where they were.

"Wow, I've never seen a mushroom that could take a bite out of you before!" Isaac said, cracking up laughing.

Garet just ignored him though, muttering to himself, "Stupid mushrooms. Since when do they attack people? This Psynergy thing in plants and animals is getting out of control!"

After that Garet refused to go near any mushrooms as they continued their journey. Fortunately they didn't encounter any other creatures again.

Then they started heading northeast, and the Goma Mountain Range was just coming into view. It was supposed to be a three-day journey there and they had only just begun. They crossed a bridge over the river and continued their journey. If they did meet more things like those mushrooms though, it would be an interesting trek.

Ivan continued heading northeast, now almost completely north. He clutched the Shaman's Rod protectively. With it, his power in Psynergy was much increased. It would come in handy if he needed to protect himself from the dangers of Lunpa's thieves. He had hidden his regular clothes in his backpack and was travelling in a simple grey cloak, which made him appear like a poor farm boy. No thief would want to bother with someone so poor looking. This was just what Ivan wanted. It was going to be dangerous, but he was sure he could do it.

He had already entered lands controlled more a less by bandits, but luckily nothing had happened to him… yet. If anyone so much as suspected he might be worth something, he would be as good as dead. Psynergy was a powerful weapon, as he had learned, but it could only protect him so much.

He topped the last hill finally and there it was before him, Lunpa, City of Thieves. He didn't have a clue how he would get in if the guards refused him entry, or even what he would do once he got in there.

Lunpa was a large city, surrounded by tall, thick wooden walls and the sheer cliffs of the mountainside that the town was built next to. Many large buildings could be seen jutting over the walls, but most of the town was hidden from view. Deep inside the town, on the other side, was 'Lunpa Castle' a gigantic underground fortress, accessible only by a single, large, heavily fortified door in the cliff face.

Somewhere deep in there, Hammet was held prisoner. Ivan had no idea how he would save him, but he had to try.

Idly, his mind wandered to Isaac and Garet's quest and how important it was. How the whole future of Weyard depended on just those two. He had thought a lot about the quest that they were undertaking lately, since leaving Vault. His quest to save Master Hammet seemed almost unimportant in comparison. But he couldn't think of that now. He had to focus himself on the task ahead.

He strode up carefully to the only gate into Lunpa. It was large and wooden like the walls and guarded only by two men with long, broad-tipped spears. They wore simple mail armour, black leather tunics underneath. They were both dirty and unshaven and had black, unkempt hair jutting out from under their helms.

One had a disjointed nose, like it had been broken many times before in brawls and healed up again. The other had a couple of teeth missing, probably from getting into fights also.

They both eyed him up and down, but seemed to decide he was too poor to be worth any effort robbing. Inside, Ivan felt relieved. At least this part of the plan had worked. He stopped in front of them and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, I'm a farm boy from near Vault and was wondering if I could gain entrance to the city." He told them meekly. Not the best was he could have put it perhaps, but he felt too intimidated to think of anything better to say.

The two guards looked at each other for a moment. Ivan began to feel nervous. What if his plan failed? What if they knew he was Hammet's servant? What would they do to him then? He wasn't exactly the bravest fifteen-year-old around, although he had felt a lot more emboldened since he, Isaac and Garet had defeated those thieves who had stolen his Shaman's Rod back in Vault.

But he was, after all, a simple servant, he wasn't meant for big, brave adventures. That's why he hadn't wanted to go and help them, Hammet held hostage or not. Then what was he doing here, risking his life in a city of thieves?

Because he was loyal to his master, father figure and mentor, that's why. He couldn't just leave him without at least attempting to help. He would've gone to Kalay to get help, but the bridge across the river was gone and it would be weeks before it was up again. Finally one of the guards turned to him.

"You wanna come in, huh, kid?" He sneered. Ivan nodded uncertainly.

"Well to bad!" the guard raised his voice, "No-one is allowed to enter Lunpa on Dodonpa's orders! Now beat it!"

Ivan delved into the man's mind with his Mind Read technique, the bandit unaware of his actions.

_Stupid kid... why won't he go away?... Can't be from Kalay... they wouldn't have had time to hear about this and sent help already... not this kid anyway... couldn't be one of Hammet's whelps... why's he starin' like that?... What's he doin'?..._

Ivan realised he needed to stop right away, and ceased his Mind Read.

"What, didn't ya hear?" The other guard spoke up, "Or are ya just stupid? Get outta here!"

Ivan quickly ran off, not bothering to say anything to the two bandits, before they started to get really angry. He disappeared over the hill and quickly ran into a grove of trees to the side of the road. His plan had pretty much failed. He couldn't even get in. There was no way to get over the city walls, even if he took care of those two guards.

It was hopeless.

Hammet was outside of his help now. But what was he to do then? Once again, he thought of Isaac and Garet, heading east, with Weyard's fate in their hands. They would have to cross the Goma Range somehow, and they would need a guide of some sort to help them find their way in unfamiliar lands.

Maybe he could help them? Rarely did someone with his powers encounter others like him. They could really use another friend. He could already feel an urge to help them, maybe it was his destiny? He had a knack of making the right decision based on his feelings and 'gut-instinct'. It was as though his soul was in tune with the flows of destiny. He wasn't really much of a warrior, at least he didn't think so, but he could help them in other ways. His Mind Read and other abilities would prove invaluable. And he could fight at least a bit.

So why not help save Weyard from tyranny, using his powers for the good of mankind, instead of wasting them in a servant's life? The world depended on two boys with the odds stacked against them. He could help even things out.

His mind was made. He was going to join Isaac and Garet and help them in their quest. But then, the sound of something stirring in the woods brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to see a man standing behind him by a few feet, calmly strolling towards him slowly. He had a sly smile on his face, which looked very treacherous. His black hair was slicked back, making him appear more devious, and his dark blue cloak was drawn to hide his body.

Ivan didn't need to look any closer to know he was hiding a weapon of some sort. He was clearly one of the mercenaries hired by Dodonpa's forces. But what was he doing bothering what he must have thought to be just some poor kid? Unless, maybe...

The man stopped just beyond arms reach and looked down on him over-confidently. Ivan looked up at him with his purple tinted eyes through his fringe of blonde hair, trying not to show any sign of fear.

"What's a boy like you doing here near a city like Lunpa?" He said to him, trying to sound friendly, but coming out like a bully to a child half his size.

"I was just visiting." Ivan said politely, hoping to get rid of him. Surely he couldn't be interested in robbing him? It would have been a big mistake on his part if he did.

"Oh, a boy like you doesn't just 'visit' a place like Lunpa." The mercenary replied slyly, still trying to sound friendly, but failing miserably. Ivan's keen purple eyes caught sight of something behind the mercenary.

Another bandit, armed with a bow and arrow. He heard a slight sound with his keen ears, and his pupils flicked briefly to see another thief hiding behind a shrub armed with a sword.

There were three of them.

"I was just passing through. I'm going now, so you don't need to bother with me." Ivan replied meekly, hoping now he would decide to leave him alone. But the man continued badgering him, this time not trying to hide his true intentions.

"Listen, kid," he said sternly, "You didn't come here unless you were some sort of a spy for Kalay looking to rescue Hammet. I can't think of any other reason. Regardless, you're coming with us, we can't let anyone breathe a word about Lunpa to the outside world now, and our law dictates that we'll have to 'confiscate' all your items."

He sneered down at Ivan like a bully taking candy from a baby. Ivan knew that anything 'confiscated' would never return to him. And he couldn't let himself become a prisoner, or else he'd never rescue Hammet.

Or aid Isaac and Garet.

Ivan tightened his grip on his Shaman's Rod behind him.

_Looks like I might have to fight my way out _he thought grimly to himself.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Ivan replied steadily, preparing for trouble. His voice no longer sounded small and meek as it usually did.

"Well then, we'll just have to force you!" the man yelled. In one smooth motion, he swept aside his cloak and pulled out his sword, holding it above his head to intimidate the youth. Quickly Ivan pointed his Rod at the thief and unleashed a powerful gust of wind that blew the man back a few feet and hurling him into a tree, winding him.

The archer behind him, who, rather stupidly, hadn't readied an arrow, quickly moved to pull one from his quiver and fired it.

But not before Ivan raised his hand and formed a whirlwind between them, swirling dirt and twigs through the air. The arrow was spun out of control and flung harmlessly out of the way.

Ivan then redirected the swirling whirlwind into the archer, twirling him about helplessly in the air. Ivan then dissipated the spinning airstream causing the man to be flung into the air and into a tree, hitting every branch on the way down. When he landed, he was well and truly unconscious.

Ivan then turned to see the other swordsmen running furiously towards him with his sword in the air. Ivan aimed his rod and unleashed a bolt of lightning at him, knocking the man to the ground and leaving him in shock. His metal armour was unable to deflect that.

That lighting bolt was one of the few destructive techniques he had learned by himself over the years with Hammett, he was to peaceful to actively find ways to learn others.

All three of his assailants were down now. But he couldn't waste time, others would come. He knew where he had to go. There was only one passage through the Goma Range and he would need to meet his friends there. He ran south-east as quickly as he could, eager to join Isaac and Garet.

Weyard's future hung in the balance and now he was going to be part of deciding it's destiny.

Isaac and Garet stood at the base of the Goma Mountain Ranges. They had travelled for two days to get here, and had met few more of the annoying small monsters, from mutated rats to giant mice. They had even seen some killer bats one night, not unlike the ones from Sol Sanctum, and even the 'killer mushrooms' that they had first encountered upon leaving Vault.

But fortunately they had not run into any truly dangerous beasts, like those wolves. And the monsters that they had encountered were thankfully not too aggressive or powerful. Most only attacked when they accidentally disturbed them, and of them, many ran off when they put up any form of resistance. Those that hadn't were easily dispatched.

The power of Alchemy had warped many animals and beasts, but Isaac and Garet were good enough fighters to deal with them.

"These mountains aren't as big as Mount Aleph." Garet mused staring up at the peaks, the wind blowing through his red-coloured spiky hair.

He stroked his chin with one leather-gauntleted hand and looked over to Isaac's pack, which contained all the food to keep it safe from Garet's insatiable appetite. "We had a small breakfast, Isaac. We should stop and have some more." The large Fire Adept suggested.

"Forget it, Garet," Isaac replied, looking down at the map of Angara, the wind blowing his messy blond hair back, "You already ate enough for the two of us. We're supposed to ration it. We can eat some more tonight. Honestly, Garet, I don't know how you can keep such an excellent figure on your diet." He looked up towards the mountains, his blue eyes searching for something. The sun shone down on them, some time before noon.

"There's supposed to be a cave that allows us to go through the mountains somehow." He told his friend, "We'll have to go up and look for it."

Garet looked a little displeased at this news.

"We won't have to go across the river, will we?" He asked in a concerned voice, "You know I hate water." Garet had always had a dislike of deep water, perhaps because he was a Mars Adept, which meant that he had never learnt to swim, which only intensified his dislike. But then, it was known that water weakened the power of Fire Psynergy.

"Don't worry, Garet," Isaac replied, "the road runs right up to this tunnel, so I'm sure there's a bridge somewhere along here."

He put his map away and they continued on their way along the road towards the river.

They came across the bridge in no time, running across the river. But it was broken.

The central part was all snapped off, the wooden planks long since washed away. But the central wooden support pillar, which had once held up the bridge, was still there.

_Must have been damaged by falling boulders from the Mount Aleph eruption. _Isaac thought to himself.

He looked to the gap, trying to gauge to distance. Isaac reasoned he could probably jump from what remained of the bridge to the central pillar, and from there to the other half.

Garet stood uncertainly on the land by the bridge.

"Isaac, you're not seriously thinking of jumping across are you?" He asked nervously eyeing the river, the old brave, boastful Garet no longer shining through.

"If you can think of a better way Garet, I'd like to hear it." Isaac replied, not even taking his eyes of the river.

Isaac took of his pack and threw it across, easily landing it on the other side of the bridge. Without hesitating, he jumped and landed on the central support pillar that still stood out of the water, holding out his arms to balance himself.

"Isaac, if you fall in, don't go looking to Garet to rescue you!" Garet called out, provoking a laugh from Isaac.

"Garet, if anyone needs rescuing, it'll be you." And with that, he made the last jump to the other side, landing next to his pack.

"All right Garet, your turn now." He called out to the muscle-bound Fire Adept who was staring uneasily at the distance over the water.

He took off his heavy pack, and threw it to Isaac, he caught it in his hands, nearly dropping it in surprise at it's weight. What in Weyard did Garet have stored in there?

But he ignored it for now, and chucked the pack to the ground next to him, looking out towards his friend.

"Come on, there's no stopping now!" He called out.

Garet looked carefully at the distance he had to jump, and the water underneath, for a moment longer. Finally, he jumped to the stump, and without stopping to think, jumped over the water, to land next to Isaac.

"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Isaac asked him jokingly.

"Be quiet about it would you Isaac?" Garet muttered in reply, "Water isn't exactly a Fire Adept's best friend you know."

As Isaac put his pack back on, he looked over to the waterfall in the distance by the mountains where the river came from. He noticed that the water actually came from a hole in the side of the mountain, and next to it was the entrance to another cave.

_That must be Goma Cave. _Isaac thought. The road led slowly up to it, winding up the foothills and along the cliff edge. Isaac and Garet followed the road up there, walking under the shadow of the Goma Mountains and the canopies of the trees that dotted the hills. They climbed the steep steps that led up to the cliff face, and walked steadily along the ledge to, eventually, the ledge of rock jutting out next to the waterfall, which led to the cave entrance.

But they couldn't reach it. A part of the ledge that they walked along had broken away, leaving a large gap. They might of been able to jump it, but a large rock blocked the only possible landing point, completely over grown with ivy vines.

"Seems the road hasn't been used for a fair while." Garet stated, pointing out the obvious.

"But Saturos and the others must have come this way; it's the only way over the mountains." Isaac replied, "Even if they did move the boulder back to block our way, why would it be covered in vines? That much would need at least a year to grow."

"Maybe they came to this point some other way?" Garet guessed. They had headed in this direction. They couldn't have put the boulder here to block any followers, it had obviously been here a while, judging by the vines.

But then one of them, Alex, Isaac remembered his name was, could hover and warp. Could the others do the same? Perhaps they had just avoided the rock rather than move it, trying to fool any that might follow. It didn't matter, Isaac reasoned, they just had to go this way.

The Great Elder had told him he would have the guidance of the Mars Elemental Star, which he kept safe at his side in it's Mythril Bag, and something told him he had to go this way, or else they would fail in their quest. He couldn't let that happen.

So he focused his mind and his body started to glow light blue with Psynergy, at least to Adept eyes, and he stretched out his hand and started to move the rock with his power.

But it wouldn't budge. Instead of just snapping out of the way, the vines held the boulder firmly in place, which seemed rather unnatural.

Isaac let the power of Psynergy dissipate from his body and stood there staring at it, stoking his chin thoughtfully.

"It seems we can't move it." he mused.

"Leave it to me!" Garet boasted, stretching out his arms, "a Fire Adept like me should have no problem with these weeds." And he immediately started channelling his Psynergy, flames crackling at the ends of his gloved hands and a large flare of fire enveloping the vines. But when he stopped and the flames subsided, the vines of ivy seemed only a little singed. Isaac could have sworn that he could feel the vines resisting through his affinity with the Earth.

"I don't believe it!" Garet exclaimed. "They should have been incinerated!" Isaac thought about it. Garet would end up exhausting his entire Psynergy supply if he tried his technique, although he seemed not to realize that.

"Hmmm... maybe what we need is more fire..." he murmured, stroking his chin, trying to look thoughtful. He was about to try again, this time more powerfully, when Isaac spoke up.

"It's no use." he said, shaking his head, "Our Psynergy isn't strong enough to free that stone."

Garet looked at him defiantly. "Well, we have to try at least." was his reply.

"You want to move that stone, right?" A young, cheerful voice from behind them said.

They turned to see a short, blonde haired kid with purple eyes stride up casually from behind them. It was Ivan. But what was he doing here, all this way from Lunpa? He walked in between them, paying no mind to their puzzled looks, and looked to the rock.

"It looks like it's trapped in the ivy." he observed.

"Yeah, we noticed that!" Garet pointed out. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Ivan!" Isaac gave him a big smile, "It's good to see you again, but why are you here, Ivan?" Shouldn't he have been in Lunpa, trying to rescue his Master Hammet from Dodonpa's thieves?

"I couldn't get into Lunpa..." Ivan muttered ruefully, shaking his head, "Don't get me wrong!" He added hastily, seeing their expressions, "I didn't come here to ask for your help. Your quest has been on my mind ever since I left Vault."

"Our quest?" Garet asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Remember? I read everything that happened in your minds." He reminded them, "I couldn't just leave, not with all these terrible things happening."

"So what you're trying to say is..." Isaac started.

"If I can't rescue Master Hammet, then I want to help you..." He looked to them hopefully, "Please allow me to join your quest."

"Sure," Isaac told him cheerfully, "The more the merrier. Besides, we can use all the help that we can get."

"Welcome to the party, buddy!" Garet told him, slapping him on the back again, "Now Saturos and his cronies will have a lot more trouble trying to get rid of us!"

"So, anyway, that Ivy is holding that down which is blocking your path, right?" Ivan asked, trying to ignore Garet's powerful 'friendly' back slap.

"Yes, that's right." Isaac told the small Wind Adept. "Pretty strong ivy too, doesn't break or burn, which I find unnatural."

"Maybe it was hit by a Psynergy Stone?" Ivan suggested, "Like you said, maybe Earth Psynergy has changed it just a bit, making it grow quickly and strongly. Hmm… you said Venus was weak against Jupiter… I know! I have a great idea. Leave it to me!"

"Uh... alright, Ivan." Garet murmured, unsure.

"Go for it." Isaac told the boy casually. Ivan looked to the Ivy and began to glow light blue with Psynergy. He raised his hand and a swirling vortex of air appeared around the boulder. The whirlwind began tearing apart the vines, flinging bits of it about haphazardly, until it was all gone, leaving only the boulder. Ivan turned to them, a big grin on his face.

"There you go! They're all gone!" he exclaimed.

"Alright, Ivan!" Garet cheered, slapping the younger boy on the back again, nearly knocking him over.

"You won't have much to cheer about in a second." A deep voice sneered behind them. They turned to see half a dozen rough looking men, holding various mismatched swords that looked like they were badly kept. Bandits.

"Hey, what do you want?" Garet folded his arms across his chest defiantly.

"These lands have been claimed under Dodonpa's lordship." The one who appeared to be the leader replied. "As foreigners, we're going to have to confiscate you're items and take you back with us to Lunpa."

"I thought I'd lost them!" Ivan whispered to Isaac. "When I left Lunpa, I was sure I wasn't being followed."

"Well, you can have our stuff over my dead body!" Garet drew his battle axe, and held it ready before him. Isaac drew his sword and Ivan held his Shaman's Rod ready.

It seemed Ivan hadn't whispered quietly enough, as the leader had heard him.

"We didn't follow you here, twerp! We've been here for ages, waiting for kids like you to come across our path! A couple of our boys already got Lord Hammet just a couple of days back, and now you're next."

"Get out of here, and no one gets hurt." Isaac warned them softly. He gripped his sword tightly. "You don't know what we're capable of."

"But I'd be more than happy to show you!" Garet grinned. The pack of bandits laughed.

"What, you three onto us? Are you joking?" one sneered.

"You and what army?"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"You took Master Hammet…" Ivan growled beneath his breath aggressively. He looked ready to battle.

"Enough chit chat." The leader declared. "They wanna play, then let's teach 'em a lesson boys!" The bandits advanced on them slowly, expecting to savour the fear of the three boys.

Garet raised a hand, and flames leapt out of the ground around the bandits. They stopped and stared in disbelief. They couldn't see Garet using Psynergy, but they could see the effects of the Psynergy. Adding to this, Isaac focused his Psynergy and the earth beneath them began to rumble.

"What the heck-?" the leader cried.

"What is this?"

"What are _they?_"

"They're freaks!"

Garet and Isaac let their Psynergy subside, expecting to see their foes run away. Instead, the leader charged viciously towards them with his sword, raw anger etched on his face.

Before anyone else could react, Ivan held out his rod, and threw the bandit back with a powerful gust of wind. He landed heavily amongst his comrades, who looked at the three Adepts in disbelief.

"That's impossible!" one of them said. Ivan wasted no time, lightning bolts arched down from the sky, striking the ground around them, but hitting nothing.

"Let's get out of here!" the group ran away, back to wherever it was they were headed, the leader struggling to follow them, winded as he was.

"Ha, that showed 'em!" Garet laughed. He and Isaac put their weapons away and turned to Ivan.

"Are you trying to get to Bilibin through this cave?" Ivan asked them, motioning towards the tunnel.

"Yeah, we heard that Saturos and Menardi went that way." Isaac replied, "But from Bilibin on I suppose we'll just have to find out as we go on."

"Then let's go!" Ivan replied.

And with that, they all jumped across and entered the dark shadows of Bilibin Cave.

After Isaac's eyes adjusted to the gloom, he could see that the cave stretched on deep into the mountain, twisting every which way. In the distance somewhere, he could hear the echoing sound of running water. Surprisingly, the floor was quite smooth and flat, and a path of cobbled stones wound along it, following the course of the tunnel.

"This path is the main trading route between the towns east of Goma range, and those to the west." Ivan explained to them, "So the road has been built and well maintained in here, through the years. Although in recent times, trade between Bilibin and Vault has dropped, so it may not be in as good a condition as it used to be, the last time I came through here with Master Hammet." He sure seemed to know a fair bit about trade, but then, he was a merchant's servant.

"But that won't be a problem, will it?" Garet asked him, "I mean, we can still get through here without a problem, can't we?"

Ivan looked ahead, peering into the gloom, his purple eyes glinting concern.

"Actually, it's not the possibility of broken down paths that concerns me." he told them cautiously, "It's the possibility of what we might meet on these paths. It used to be busier along here, so creatures of the cave usually stayed well out of the way. But now, having become more secluded, some of them may have started inhabiting this tunnel again."

"So we might run into a few bats or cave rats," Garet scoffed, "We can handle them, no problem!"

Ivan sighed, "But what if we meet some of the ones that have been infused with Psynergy? Altered by Alchemy? They might be a bit more of a problem."

"He's got a point, Garet." Isaac added.

"Big deal, I can handle them!" Garet boasted proudly, "I'll just blast them away with my powers!"

Ivan shook his head, exasperated, "Is he always like this, proud and reckless, Isaac?"

"Yes, but don't worry, you'll get used to it," was Isaac's reply, "I believe the two of us together might be able to teach him the meaning of the phrase 'being careful'!"

"Hey! I'm careful!" Garet told them, turning around to face them and walking backwards ahead of them, "I always try to not get into trouble! It's just that trouble sometimes comes after me!" Then he tripped on something in the darkness and fell on his backside.

"Garet, please try to focus _ahead_ of yourself." Isaac sighed.

"And try to find something to burn," Ivan added, "I think we'll need some light in here."

Something flickered beyond his eyesight, and Isaac looked up, seeing what he thought to be some green figure run off. Probably just his imagination. Garet grumbled something to himself, but quickly produced a torch from his backpack and promptly lit it with his Psynergy.

They continued down the tunnel path in silence. Garet kept his axe out in one hand, ready for anything that they might come across. Even Ivan walked along with his Shaman's Rod in one hand. Isaac didn't draw his blade, but kept fingering the hilt uneasily, ready to draw it out in an instant.

They quickly found the underground river, as the tunnel met joining it and ran along side of it. The path continued alongside this underground river into the darkness.

They continued through the dark passages in silence, keeping a wary eye out for potential enemies. For a few minutes they walked through the gloomy cave. It didn't take long for them to disturb some bats.

Not regular bats, Psynergy infuse ones. When the light from Garet's torch hit them, they swarmed at them, unnaturally large black beasts with blood red eyes and large yellow fangs. Unanimously, they let out an ear piercing shriek and dived for them, fangs bared for the kill.

Ivan quickly summoned a whirlwind, scattering many of them, while Garet unleashed a wave of fireballs from his hands, all at once and they seemed to each seek an individual bat each. Isaac didn't even know that Garet could do that. Each fireball that hit a bat scorched it in mid-air, killing it, but he only managed to hit a dozen of the things.

Isaac tried to kill a few by launching stone spires from his hand, but failed to achieve much as the small creatures nimbly dodged his attacks. As they started to reach them, Isaac started swinging his sword, bringing down many around him. He hoped desperately none of them managed to bite him, those fangs looked venomous. His blade sliced many of the bats as they reached him, but others simply avoided his blows, trying to find other ways to attack him.

Ivan started emitting bolts of lightning from his rod, the streaks of electricity aiming for the bats, leaving many blackened fuzzy shapes around the powerful young Wind Adept.

He even started hitting them with his rod if they got to close. Garet was now carving up many bats around him with his axe, and whenever he got the chance, unleashing glowing red hot Fire Psynergy. There were dozens off chopped up creatures around him, many of which were also burned.

The three of them together, with their powers quickly killed most of them. Within no time at all, all their enemies had been vanquished, leaving Garet and Ivan with just a few minor scratches and Isaac surprisingly enough without any wounds at all.

"How did you do that?" Garet asked.

"You had a golden dome of Psynergy around you, protecting you from those bats while you hacked at them with your sword." Ivan added.

"Did I?" Isaac replied, "I didn't realize, I was so worried about getting poisoned, I must have learned a new trick without realizing it."

He remembered now doing... something subconsciously. Some sort of defensive technique. They hadn't progressed nearly far enough in their training back home to learn everything. Maybe if he thought about it, he could remember it. But there was no time now. Isaac put it down to some sort of involuntary Psynergy.

"Come on," he told them, "We can't hang around all day, let's get going."

They both nodded and hoisted up their packs. Before they left though, Isaac decided he should do something to help Ivan's wounds. Garet could handle his, he'd reject help unless he absolutely needed it anyway, but Ivan was smaller and physically weaker, even though in terms of Psynergy, the three of them appeared to be more or less equal. Isaac rested his hand on Ivan's forehead, filled his body with Psynergy and started using the only healing skill taught to him, Cure.

Ivan's' cuts started to heal up quickly, almost instantly as the sinews in his skin began to link together, to bond anew.

"I didn't know you could heal with your Psynergy!" Ivan exclaimed.

"It's an old Venus ability some of the Earth Adepts use in Vale to fix wounds and broken bones." Isaac replied, "I don't think that you could learn it though, I've never heard of any Jupiter healing abilities, and Garet can't heal either. Fire Adepts are better at fighting than anything else."

Garet laughed. "If you're a good enough warrior, then you don't need any healing!"

"Well, you look like you took as much of a beating as I did." Ivan replied wittily.

"Hey, I'm still learning, alright?" was Garet's smug reply.

"Come on, let's get going." Isaac told them, before they got involved in some sort of silly argument.

_Sometimes it's necessary to take the lead and tell others what to do. _Isaac thought silently to himself. They continued through the cave tunnels silently, hoping not to arouse the attention of any other beasts. The road remained clear, venturing off from the river going deeper into the mountain gut rock. Isaac still had a pretty good sense of direction, and following his lead, they weaved their way through the confusing, weaving tunnel.

Occasionally, they'd encounter a lone bat, or a large unnatural rat, which one of them would promptly kill before any others came. Isaac had a nagging feeling that something was following them, but every time he turned his head back, he saw nothing, although he thought he heard things like footsteps or the sound of shifting pebbles, but the others noticed nothing.

Garet just said it was his imagination, and Ivan thought that it was probably nothing worth worrying about. After a few of hours of continuous walking and searching through the dark dreary caverns, killing the odd creature, the path rejoined the subterranean river. They decided to sit down here for a brief rest and quick lunch. As they sat around chewing their apples, Isaac decided to ask Ivan a bit about the town they would arrive in after leaving this tunnel, Bilibin.

"It's a good sized town just not far east of the Goma Ranges," He replied between mouthfuls, "Ruled over by Lord McCoy, near Kolima Forest. Good trading partner of Kalay, though the last time I went there was with Master Hammet a couple of years ago, but I don't think that it's changed much since then." Then he turned his head as though he heard something. "Something's coming." he said gravely.

"I don't hear anything." Garet shrugged.

Isaac strained his ears. After a moment he heard it faintly, the sound of flapping wings and running feet. Isaac and Garet immediately drew their weapons. A dozen or so large bats appeared out of the gloom, followed by some large rat-like creatures that stood on their hind legs.

"What the heck are these things?" Garet exclaimed. "More monsters?" He immediately incinerated the two bats that dived for him with a well aimed fireball. Ivan immediately jumped to his feet and blasted a couple of bats with a bolt of lightning. He then summoned a whirlwind from his hand that scattered the rest around the room as they dived for them.

Isaac sliced through two more bats with his blade. Several others dove for him and he wounded them when they got too close, successfully defending himself. Then the rat-soldiers things that wielded sharpened sticks like spears, attacked.

Garet blasted one back with a blast of fire, and hewed another with his axe. Ivan again managed to keep one away with a gust of wind, but Isaac realised that it would be necessary to protect him, because he wore no armour.

Diving in the way of a spear aimed for Ivan's heart, and at the same time swiping it with his sword, Isaac blocked a blow with his breastplate.

The rat fell to the ground headless. Ivan took the chance to charge a lightning bolt which paralysed another one of them racing to attack. Then he summoned a whirlwind to spin it around and slam in into the wall, breaking its neck.

Isaac launched a clay spire from his hands piercing the heart of yet another. These creatures were everywhere! He killed the last of the rat soldier things with a well placed sword stroke, and then focused again on the bats that were regrouping.

Garet unleashed another huge wave of fireballs, like before, only this time larger and more powerful, that incinerated half of the creatures in the air.

As Ivan summoned a powerful tornado to trap them spinning in one place, Isaac made several of the stalactites hanging from the roof fall down with Psynergy which killed a couple of bats and confused the others. As the tornado dissipated, as Ivan couldn't hold it forever, another powerful bolt of lightning blasted several of the creatures. While others came for them Isaac and Garet took to them with sword and axe, killing as many as they could.

As the last of them fell to the ground dead, Isaac thought that all the beasts were slain.

But then he saw a green, leathery skinned creature lunge for him. A humanoid ghoulish thing with green pointy ears, large eyes and no hair at all, Isaac couldn't fathom what it might be.

It collided with him from the side, pushed him to the ground preventing his sword arm from counter-attacking. It scratched at his chest, but his armour again saved his life. Without wasting time it leapt for Ivan's back, who was unaware of the creature's presence. As Isaac turned, he saw that Garet had already been knocked down by it, but he was just getting up, and launched a fireball of his own which blew the creature back a few feet just in time, before it got Ivan.

While the thing was down by the side, Isaac created a stronger stone, pointed spire and launched it from his hand. The sharp point pierced it's side and the spire crumbled into dust as it hit it.

Ivan, upon seeing it, hit it with a lightning bolt. Isaac stood to investigate the wounded creature, but found it still alive. With a single thrust of his blade, he pierced its heart and killed it.

"They're finally dead." he said, breathing a sigh of relief. All the monsters had been defeated.

"Took enough damage." Garet murmured to himself.

"You two saved my life!" Ivan exclaimed, "Those things would have killed me if it weren't for you! I don't have a single scratch!"

"I wish I could say the same!" Garet replied, looking very cut and bruised by the assault.

"When we get to Bilibin, I think we should get Ivan some armour." Isaac said, "And a weapon of some sort. That rod isn't much good up close."

"Well, let's not stand around all day." Ivan replied, "The normal path should be safer now, so let's hurry! It might be getting dark soon, I've no idea of the time around here, and we don't want to be in here then."

"Before we go, I'd better heal Garet with Cure." Isaac said. Garet groaned.

"Come on, you'll be too slow if you don't get it!"

Garet reluctantly agreed. He quickly used his healing ability on the red haired Fire Adept, his body glowing with Psynergy. Garet's wound healed together as though they had never been, leaving him looking quite refreshed, but still feeling worn from battle. Isaac himself had used a great deal of his Psynergy. Only by resting would he recover that power.

After that, they quickly headed down the path, weapons out, at a steady, speedy pace.

The path wound on alongside the river, at one point crossing it over a wooden bridge, eventually leaving the flowing water to travel through the mountain alone, again. They encountered nothing more before the first sign of daylight appeared ahead at the end of the tunnel.

"Finally, we're near the end!" Garet exclaimed, "We must have been in here for over half a day, now!" They quickly ran for it, eager to leave the dark, dank tunnel. They finally emerged on the other side of the mountain, with the sun low in the orange afternoon sky.

"It's great to be out of there!" Garet exclaimed, "I couldn't handle another minute of that place!"

"It's good to breath fresh air again!" Ivan exclaimed with a smile on his face, as the wind blew his mop of blonde hair. Isaac simply nodded with a smile, not saying anything. He understood.

Off in the distance, a couple of miles north-east, stood the city of Bilibin.

It was even bigger than Vault, which was only a small town. There were many houses with smoke exiting the chimneys, and a palisade wall encircled the city. At the north end of town stood a palace Isaac assumed belonged to Lord McCoy.

They would have to hurry to find an Inn to stay the night.

"Come on, guys," Isaac said with a start, "Let's get going!"

**A/N: **Okay, that's done. Hopefully, I can get another update done quickly, but we'll see in between my work on "Shadow Wars". Speaking of which, that will come VERY soon. Also my one-shot (still unnamed). I think that's all. Oh yeah, tell me if you think I should rename this "Golden Sun: The Broken Seal" or stick with the current title. Anyway, I think that's all. So, for now, adios amigos!

MoR


	8. Heading North

**A/N: **Welcome back!

Okay, another chapter. I'm running low on my pre-written chaps, better get writing! Well, just a few notes- First of all, I will be sending the crew of to mercury lighthouse BEFORE Kolima, because it just makes more sense in my opinion. I mean if that was where Saturos was heading, wouldn't you go there, instead of to Kolima? Besides, later on, Kolima Forest will sort of be on the way, anyway.

Anything else? Um, no. Okay then, review replies!

**Cyan Light: **Thanks for your praise! I know you always like my work!

**Spirit Seer: **Thanks for pointing out those spelling mistakes. Just when I thought I'd gotten rid of them all! That figure that Isaac saw… it was going to be that guy trying to catch forge. I was originally going to have him meet the crew, but took it out because it was irrelevant really, and just left that part of him in there to mystify all who read, lol. I can understand why you miss the Djinn, but it would be very difficult to have them all in it, I mean, doing characterisation for like, 72 djinn (eventually)? It would be very hard. But I think the battles are better without them, because the summons would be very hard to work in (I think). Besides, they don't really talk in the game, except when you first meet Flint. But anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**GoldenSunGeek: **Hey! Yeah, I can understand crappy school comps, I used to have to deal with them. I'm glad you liked how I clarified Ivan meeting the other two. I just thought it was a good idea to do. And yes, mercury is coming first! But what does Mia say in the game if you go to Kolima first? I don't know because in the game I went there first!

**Jenna Wilder: **Yeah, I only thought about it once I started work on it. Although, I tend to think quite a bit about the game, being the insane fan that I am. (rubs where he has been poked) yes, yes, I'm updating!

**Spacejoe: **Yes, throwing in lots of little extra things does tend to spice up the story a little bit. Ooh! A cookie! Thanx! (eats cookie) mmm… you can really taste the sugar…

Okay then. I think that's it. This one is really a bit of a filler chap. Just about the crew getting to Imil. Anyway, this will be the last "travelling chapter" for want of a better term. The next chapter will actually feature Mia and Mercury Lighthouse! I promise! I want her to get in as soon as possible! So, yeah, just sorta filler chap, really. Anyway, read on.

**Disclaimer: **You know who don't own you know what.

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**HEADING NORTH**

The three Adepts quickly reached the southern gate in the Bilibin wall. It wasn't really a gate, it was just a large open part of the wall, wide enough for four abreast to walk through, with a large wooden sign spanning it above, with the title _'Bilibin' _written across it in large red letters.

It was the thought of a nice warm bed and a hot meal that drove them to get there quickly more than anything else. As they approached the gate, Isaac noticed that there was a small tree growing to the side inside the gate, which he thought quite odd.

It was only slightly larger than a tall man, it's two main branches stretching out like arms.

As Isaac approached, he noticed how twisted and wrong it felt to him through his affinity with the earth. It even looked as though it had a twisted face of agony and pain in it's bark at eye-level.

No, wait. It did have one!

There was no mistaking that it was a face of some sort, one in the same pain that Isaac was sensing from it.

"That's one creepy looking tree!" Garet noted. "If I lived in this town, I'd want it cut down and burned!"

Isaac slowly walked up to it to touch it, but his hand quickly recoiled the second it came into contact with the wood, as he felt the pain inside it flow through him.

Not physical, but spiritual pain that ceased as soon as he lost contact with it.

Very disturbing.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it being here." Ivan shrugged in dismissal, "Come on; let's find an Inn for the night."

"There's something not right about this tree," Isaac told them, "I can feel it. It's in pain."

"Oh come on, Isaac. It's just a tree!" Garet replied impatiently, "I'm hungry and tired! Let's go!"

Ivan walked up and studied the tree closely, touching the bark with his hand. He didn't recoil, but then, he wasn't an Earth Adept, so he wouldn't feel anything.

"Garet, Isaac is an Earth Adept, so he can feel and sense things to do with earth that we can't." Ivan explained carefully, "So it would have to be more than just a tree. Hmmm... I wonder..." he trailed off and started to glow light blue with Psynergy, at least to the Adept's eyes, and Isaac realised he was using his mind read trick.

He had told them that it worked only on people and animals, but not trees, which made sense as they didn't really have minds anyway. So what was he trying to do then?

His purple eyes began to widen suddenly in shock and he took a step back.

"That's no ordinary tree!" He exclaimed in a shocked voice, "That's a man!"

"WHAT!" Garet and Isaac both exclaimed.

Isaac, now that he thought about it, could definitely feel that it was twisted and wrong in a way it wasn't supposed to be, as though it was Psynergy that made it that way. But originally a man! Not even Psynergy could do that! Venus could make plants and flowers grow healthy and strong, but change a man into a tree? That was impossible!

_Then that would make four impossible abilities that I've seen recently _Isaac thought to himself.

"How is that possible?" Garet asked doubtfully. "If it looks and feels like a tree, then how can it be a man?"

"He seems to have been changed that way by something somehow, but not by Psynergy Stones." Ivan replied grimly, "I couldn't continue to bear reading his mind after that, and I wouldn't dare do it again. Anyway, I doubt he knows very much."

"But it just can't be possible to do that!" Garet objected. "You agree, don't you, Isaac?"

Isaac shook his head. "I don't know anymore, Garet." he replied with a shrug. "I always thought it was impossible to fly or teleport, but the one called Alex did that in Sol Sanctum. Ivan can read minds, and even the Elders of Vale never knew the ability existed. Maybe it is possible to change a person into a tree with Venus Psynergy? I think that the people of Vale only really know a fraction of what's capable with Psynergy."

Garet nodded slowly, agreeing. "I suppose that makes a disturbing kind of sense." he admitted. "But that doesn't explain who or what did this to him."

"Do you think someone from the group we're following could have done this?" Ivan asked with concern and fear mixed in with his normally light and cheery voice. Garet shuddered.

"I hope not, because I don't want to be turned into a tree!" he said fearfully.

"Don't worry." Isaac reassured him. "It would have to be a complicated process, not done easily or quickly. I think, well, assume, our powers could easily defend us from that." Garet looked a little relieved, but only a little.

"Do you think it would be possible to reverse the process?" Ivan asked hopefully. "Isaac, you're an Earth Adept. Could it be done, do you think?"

Isaac shrugged his shoulders. "Probably." he replied. "But it wouldn't be easy, I think, and I don't know where to begin. And I don't want to risk the man's life trying. We'll just have to leave him for now. Our own quest must be fulfilled first."

"You're right, there's nothing we can do." Garet nodded.

"We can at least ask the townsfolk around here if they know anything." Ivan mused, looking around to the few people still wandering the streets in the afternoon sun. "They might at least know something."

"But it's getting late!" Garet moaned. "Ask them later!"

"Well, let's hurry up and find an Inn before the sun sets!" Isaac told them, and they trotted of down the streets in search of an Inn.

The streets were wide and open, dirt roads crisscrossing the city in straight lines. There were few people out, most rushing to get home before dark. They entered what Isaac assumed to be the town square, a large round paved area surrounded by merchant's shops and houses, and in the centre stood a large statue of a woman who, according to the name carved into the dais the statue stood on, was Lady McCoy.

Probably Lord McCoy's wife, Isaac reasoned. These rich, wealthy lords could afford to waste their gold on such things to impress their loved ones. She looked to him to be an imperious woman, strong and more interested in riches and jewels and expensive clothes to care about the welfare of other people. But, then, it was just a statue.

"Here's an Inn." Ivan's voice chimed behind them. Isaac turned to see a large double story building with a sign proclaiming it to be the "Lady McCoy Inn". Another tribute to the honorary woman.

"Finally, a chance for a nice hot meal!" Garet exclaimed excitedly.

They entered through the wooden door quickly, and stood before the wooden bench that was next to it inside. The Innkeeper, a round cheery looking man with a thick moustache and a balding head greeted them.

"Good afternoon, good sirs, how may I be of assistance?" he asked in a deep voice as he wiped his hands on his apron.

"We would like to book a room for the night, three people, if you please." Isaac replied politely.

"Ah, young warriors interested in the reward Lord McCoy's offering; are yeh?" he asked noticing the sword on Isaac's back and the axe at Garet's waist and the armour they wore, paying no mind to Ivan.

"No, we're travellers from the west and new in town. What's this reward?" Isaac asked him. At the mention they were from west, the Innkeepers eyes lit up.

"From the west yeh say?" he inquired, forgetting about the 'reward'. "Over the Goma Mountain Range? Ah, then surely yeh must have news of what happened over there nearly a week ago, with the glowing lights and stones falling from the sky! Rumour had it a great volcano erupted. What do yeh know about any o' that?" Isaac grimaced, the Mount Aleph eruption.

"We were... in Vault at the time." He replied, lying. "Mount Aleph to the north of us erupted unexpectedly. We decided to come here to be safe, in case it happened again."

The Innkeeper nodded thoughtfully.

"Ah, so that's how it was. Well, I must say yeh came tae the wrong place tae be safe."

"Why, isn't it safe here?" Garet asked. "And what's with that reward you were talking about."

"Ah, well it ties in together, yeh see." he replied. "You see, lately ol' Lord McCoy, he's been doing a lot to impress his wife, surely you saw that statue of her out there?" He gestured towards the door. They all nodded and he continued.

"So, she asked him to build her a palace, so she could live in more luxuriant conditions than that manor they already have, I suppose. So McCoy, he purchases lot's o' lumber from Kolima, over east. Lovely town if ever yeh saw it. Anyway, they cut down many a tree from Kolima Forest to meet demand, even though it was supposedly sacred tae them. Then one day, purple and red lights began glowing over the mountains west and the precious stones fell. Apparently wakened the Curse of Tret they say, all the people of Kolima were turned to trees! I didn't believe it myself, until one fellow actually reached the south gate of the city and turned intae a tree before the people's very eyes! After that, Lord McCoy had a barricade built to prevent anyone going or coming from Kolima. Now the flow of timber for the palace has dried up and construction has halted. The lady has been a bit miffed at this, so his Lordship has offered a large reward to any warrior, like yehselves, who can slay Tret, the guardian spirit of the forest, which is meant to break the curse. If yeh young men are interested, you should go to the McCoy manor to talk with him and see about getting a key to get passed the barricade blocking the path tae the east."

Isaac paused for a moment to take all this in. That curse was partially their fault. Both because they had entered the forbidden Sol Sanctum and been unable to defend it form the thieves. He would have liked to help these Kolima folk, both out of pity and guilt, but he couldn't. He had to fulfil his quest, stop Saturos and his lot, retrieve the Elemental Stars and save Kraden and Jenna.

Jenna.

Isaac's heart yearned for her. He shook the thoughts out of his head, he had to focus. His gut instinct suggested north, not east, perhaps on the guidance of the Elemental Star.

"Uh, sure, we'll think about it." He murmured in reply. The Innkeeper took down their names and showed them to their room, a spacious place with three beds and a small table.

After he left, Isaac quickly unstrapped his sword sheath and chucked it on his bed and his armour quickly followed. He felt uncomfortable wearing it all the time. He noticed Garet was doing the same and even Ivan was hanging up his expensive looking green robe. Getting himself comfy, he kicked of his travelling boots and started removing his leather gauntlets as he sat at the table. They'd left the Innkeeper with requests to have their meal brought up to them.

"So, where do we go from here?" Garet asked.

"We can't go east where the Curse of Tret is." Ivan said aloud.

"I think the way to go is north." Isaac responded.

"Why do you say that?" Ivan asked.

"Because of the guidance of the Mars Elemental Star." he replied. "My gut tells me that they are headed for Mercury Lighthouse. If they intend to light the four beacons and release Alchemy on the world again, that would be the nearest Lighthouse. I mean, they obviously want to seize its power for their own, so why waste time?"

"So then, we'll have to stop them before they do that somehow." Garet said. "But how?"

"We can head them off at the Mercury Lighthouse." Isaac responded. "Kraden explained to us that the Lighthouses are structured so as to make it impossible for people who aren't Clan members to get to the top. There are a whole lot of traps and puzzles to prevent access to the aerie where the beacon of the Lighthouse is, or was. They will get pretty slowed down in there, perhaps even weakened from battle, so we might just be able to get the stars from them if we stand together, and plan our assault."

They were silent for a moment, and finally Ivan nodded. "Well, you know what you're doing, so I'll do what you want."

"I agree." Garet added. "I'm with you all the way if it's the only way we can stop them, then let's do it!"

"Alright, so it's agreed." Isaac sighed in response.

Once again, they looked to him to lead them. He didn't like it, but then, they would need someone in charge to be able to accomplish the difficult task ahead of them. Isaac definitely was NOT looking forward to this confrontation. But there was no way around it. They had to retrieve the Stars and rescue Jenna and Kraden. Isaac couldn't, wouldn't, leave her behind. He was determined to slay Saturos, Menardi and Alex, then return home to Vale with Jenna in his arm, the Elemental Stars in hand and Kraden at his side with Felix tied up to answer for his crimes to the village elders. Then all would be well again and the could live a life happily again.

At least, it would almost be the same. Nothing would bring back his father, or Jenna's parents, and Felix would never again be one of them. But still, a part of him wanted Felix to change back. Maybe he would understand, and they could forgive him. But would the people of Vale?

But he couldn't think of that, Felix was one of them now, and they would have to be prepared to fight him.

The sound of the Innkeeper entering their room with dinner pulled him out of his grim thoughts.

"Here is your dinner, good sirs." He called to them. "Roast beef it is, I hope it is to yeh'r liking."

He handed them three plates of succulent slices of beef, covered in gravy, which he laid in front of them. They thanked him politely and he left. Garet and Ivan talked much about the journey to Mercury Lighthouse.

At the foot of the Lighthouse, just a short distance off, was the town of Imil. It was once home to the Mercury Clan, but now only simple peasants lived there, few in numbers for the town was eternally winter-locked due to being so far north.

But Isaac only listened with half a mind, not saying much and only responding when asked a question. He still thought about what they would do when they got there, the inevitable showdown.

Ivan couldn't eat all his food, so Garet kindly ate it for him. After they finished their meal, the conversation shifted to the Curse of Tret, and if they could do anything about it. Their powers could help them slay the legendary Tret where the other warriors failed, and they could have helped all those people.

Isaac felt that maybe he should do something about it. Maybe when this debacle had been sorted out at the Lighthouse, they could go on one more adventure into Kolima Forest. But until then... Weyard's fate was in their hands.

Eventually they finished up and went to bed. But Isaac slept fitfully. He kept dreaming of being lost in a deep, dark forest as a horrible power attacked him, twisting his body as he warped into a tree.

When he awoke the next morning, he found Garet already at the table eating out of a big bowl of porridge, and Ivan just getting out of bed.

"You kept me awake all night!" he complained as he rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his mop of blonde hair, "Honestly, do you have to snore so loud?"

Isaac chuckled in spite of himself. He had, of course, gotten used to Garet's snoring, but Ivan hadn't yet.

"Oh, come on, it's not so bad." Garet replied. The Mars Adept's hair wasn't spiked anymore. It was all matted down on one side and sticking out in every direction on the other like orange flames. He alway managed to style it perfectly every morning so that it was spiked up. How he did it, Isaac didn't know.

Isaac's blonde hair still stubbornly stuck out wherever it felt like. He'd never bothered to try and keep it neat, and now he had no time. He didn't care how it looked anyway.

He sat down and helped himself to some toasted bread, and was shortly followed by Ivan. He wasn't very hungry, unlike Garet who alway was, so he ate less than usual.

They quickly finished and got dressed for the road again, putting on their armour. They needed to stop off at the armoury quickly to get Ivan some battle gear before they left town.

As they paid the Innkeeper the coins for their night's stay, he again asked Isaac and Garet if they would consider going into Kolima Forest.

"We people o' Bilibin have been afraid that the Curse of Tret might spread tae over here, we have." He explained. "None o' the other warriors that McCoy sent have yet returned and we fear the worst. We desperately hope for new warriors tae aid us."

Isaac sighed. He began to understand why they were so desperate for help, that they would even ask children in armour for help. There was no other way to defend themselves against the Curse, and only the slaying of Tret would help them. But they couldn't help. The quest was to much more important. But what if they were to be victorious at Mercury Lighthouse only to return to a Bilibin full of trees? But it couldn't be helped.

"We'll see about meeting Lord McCoy." he murmured in reply. The Innkeeper seemed so pleased, he didn't even notice the fact that Isaac seemed not to really mean it. As they left the Inn, Ivan pointed them in the direction of the blacksmith's armoury. They entered a large open area with many swords, shields, maces, breastplates and other tools of war leaning against and hanging from the walls. A large, heavy-set, muscle bound man stood behind the counter forging some tool with a heavy hammer. He looked at them as they entered.

"Ah, good morning lads. How can I help you boys?" He asked in a deep, yet friendly voice.

"I'm looking to purchase some form of armour." Ivan spoke up. "And a sword of weapon of some sort as well." he added with a look to Isaac.

"Ah, young fellas like yehselves aren't thinking of gallivanting of tae Kolima Forest, eh? Not all of us are that desperate yet!"

"No, we're getting equipped to defend ourselves on our journey north." Isaac replied truthfully.

"Ah, well you seem like an honest lot." he replied cheerfully. "So, a young man like you will probably do best in light armour. Maybe some mail, hmm... let's see now."

He began rummaging in back of the store, before returning with a heavy looking chest. He opened it up and pulled out a shirt of chain-mail. Holding it up to Ivan's chest, he mused that it seemed a good fit. A glinting, silvery looking thing caught Isaac's eye in the chest.

"What about that one there?" he asked pointing to it.

"Ah, you must be a connoisseur if that caught your eye." he said proudly as he pulled it out and showed it to them, "I got it from a merchant who had fallen on though times a while back, and he was willing to sell it at a good price. It is Mythril Mail, and almost nothing can break it, yet it is very light and flexible. Here, try it on."

Ivan took of his cloak and tried it on. It fit perfectly.

Isaac could sense that it had been forged with Psynergy and must be very old.

"It looks very good on you." he remarked. "If you want it, I can sell it for 50 gold pieces."

50! That was a lot!

"I'll take it." Ivan said before Isaac could say anything about the price. Ivan pulled out a bulging purse and handed over almost half the contents. How had Ivan come across so much? Master Hammet must have paid him well.

They spent some more time looking for a good sword. But Ivan was young and inexperienced; the blacksmith convinced him to take a short sword to train with before he took to something larger. He purchased a short blade called an Elven Rapier. By the time they left, the sun was already well over the horizon.

"We wasted too much time in there." Garet remarked.

"But we got Ivan equipped for battle." Isaac replied. "So he'll be a lot safer now. It was necessary. Anyway let's hurry up and head north."

"The road is fairly flat and easy." Ivan added, looking at the map. "So if we keep up a good pace, we should reach the Northern Mountains by tomorrow night. We should be able to cross them the next day and make our way through the snow lands to Imil, and Mercury Lighthouse."

His green cloak was back on and hid his mail, and his sword buckled at his side, from view, although he still carried his rod in one hand. They left Bilibin immediately and headed north-westerly.

Over the next two days, they walked quickly over the unpopulated plains, stopping only momentarily at noon to snack on lunch. They needed to make up for lost time. They crossed a large river by a wooden bridge not long after lunch, which meant that they had reached the halfway mark. They tried to avoid the notice of any monsters, but occasionally a large rat thing, or vicious bird decided to try and eat them, though the three were easily able to promptly kill it.

A couple of times they ram into a patch of 'killer mushrooms' as they called them. The first time, Ivan swept them all away with a whirlwind, the second time Garet fried them with a blast of fire.

Even before they left, they could make out the tall mountains, there snow-capped peaks wrapped in a fine misty fog. As they drew closer and the mountains became bigger, they noticed grey clouds blowing overhead and a chilly wind blowing from the north.

"We are getting close." Ivan remarked when Isaac spoke of it. The winds became colder and Isaac was glad of his thick blue tunic as he put it on. They began to get into the foothills of the mountains and Garet asked how they were going to pass these mountains.

"There's a tunnel called Imil Cave that passes through the mountains at a high, relatively thin point." Ivan replied. "That's the quickest way to get there. It's a bit like Goma Tunnel, really."

Garet seemed quite displeased.

"That last tunnel we went through almost killed us!" He argued. "Are you sure that it's the safest way there?" Ivan nodded.

"This isn't like the Goma Cave. No creatures live in it; it's too cold for them."

Isaac continued leading the way ahead of them, along the road in the direction of the cave, listening with half an ear.

"But if there really is an Earth Adept with them, like Isaac says there might be," Garet countered, "how do we know they won't try to block our way again?"

Ivan smiled and his eyes twinkled with humour.

"Because they're making a two-way journey." he replied to the Mars Adept. "They'll want a way back over." Garet said nothing in reply.

They quickly found the cave entrance in the mountain-side. The trail up the mountain easily wound it's way up until it reached the hole in it's side that was the tunnel, large enough for the three of the to walk in upright with plenty of room left over. Inside, Isaac noticed, it was even colder than outside, the smooth walls twisting and stretching into the distance. Garet pulled out a large torch from his pack, and the flames crackled into life on the end of it under the flow of his Psynergy, despite the chill in the air. He always insisted on carrying and lighting the torch, perhaps due to his love of fire. They trekked their way through the cold, dark tunnel, a wary eye out for trouble.

"I hope there aren't any bats in here." Garet muttered under his breath. Outside, they heard the wind howl, but inside the air was still, cold.

"Don't worry." Ivan replied. "Like I said, it's too cold in here. Besides, they wouldn't have enough food." he added grimly.

"I think we're experienced enough now to be able to fight them anyway." Isaac added.

"Well, whatever. If we do run into anything, I'll be prepared." Garet boasted, resting a hand on his battle axe. They continued on in silence, for how long Isaac couldn't tell. There were few living things in there, but what they were, Isaac was unsure.

They must have been normal animals, not monsters, for they were small and did not resonate with Psynergy. Most scampered away quickly into their hidey-holes when the large intruders came past, but a few watched cautiously from hidden vantage points.

Isaac felt they must have travelled miles in this one, dark, long tunnel after hours of walking.

Garet complained a bit about the distance and the creatures, but stopped when Isaac reassured him that it couldn't be much longer. After all, he reasoned, they must be near the end by now.

To pass the time, he asked Ivan if he knew anything about the place.

"This tunnel was built long ago to help trade between Imil and the two southern cities of Bilibin and Kolima, Master Hammet once told me. But as the Mercury Clan slowly died off as they lost their power, the population dwindled. Trade was crucial, because Kolima supplied most of the lumber that they needed, but could not get easily in their own lands, and Bilibin sent food which they could not grow in the snow. Without it, they would of had to rely on fish from the ocean, which would not have been enough for them. But as time went on, the powers of the Mercury Clan faded and shrunk, and they slowly died out. So, the population of Imil began to dwindle."

"But how did they dying of the Mercury Clan result in the population of Imil shrinking?" Isaac asked.

"Because in Imil there is a think called 'the Sickness'. It's like a strong cold that can kill you, apparantly. The Mercury Clan could easily cure it, but it continuously reappeared, sometimes in people who had never been in contact with it. It just somehow generated itself. But as the power of the Mercury Clan faded, more people became infected and died before they could be cured. When the last Mercury Adepts died, they had to find a way to survive. A handful of people were able to heal the disease, but they could only save so many at a time. The population stays steady now, thanks to the descendant healers who built Imil Sanctum to live in. But it cannot grow, or the healers would be unable to cope, and many would die. That's why there is now little trade between Imil and the outside world, so this path is used little."

"Wow, you sure know a bit about the history of this place." Isaac said, clearly impressed.

"Well, Hammet taught me a bit on our journeys." Ivan replied modestly. "He was a bit of a history buff. But I don't think he's actually been to Imil, at least not during the last fourteen years since he adopted me."

They said nothing after this and continued on their way. The further they went down the tunnel, the colder it got, and soon the began to see thick icicles hanging from the roof. They took one last turn, and found the exit, sunlight blinding their eyes.

A cold wind hit them, blowing out Garet's torch and chilling them all. Isaac tightened his scarf and peered out.

The landscape was, as far as he could see, covered in snow. There were patches of pine trees doting the landscape covered in think layers of snow. Isaac had seen snow before in Vale, but never this thick!

"So we've reached the Imilian Snowfields." he mused.

"It's colder than I thought it would be." Ivan shivered, tightening his cloak around him.

"But it's still not too bad." Garet added as he left the cave. Isaac was pretty sure his best friend was just trying to act big. It was pretty chilly.

"Come on, it'll be nightfall soon, so let's get our camp set up for the night." he told them.

The immediately set their packs down and got started, while Isaac went to fetch some firewood. As he picked up dead bits of wood from the snow, he focused on his affinity to tell which were best to use. The snow which was filled with the power of Mercury, or Water, dampened his feeling for the solid ground beneath.

In the distance, he caught sight of something which made his blood freeze. A giant bear-like creature strode on all fours through the woods without turning it's head. He'd been lucky. Taking his pile of wood with him, Isaac ran back up the snow-covered hill to his friends.

When he reached the cave-mouth, he found that Garet and Ivan had already set up their tents, as well as his one, with the openings facing towards the cave. No doubt to keep them warm from the fire which Garet, judging by his behaviour, seemed to intend to have inside the cave-mouth. Isaac rushed up, and told them about the creature he saw.

"Oh, great!" Garet moaned. "More monsters! Everywhere we go, they pop up!"

After Garet had finished complaining, Ivan explained to them what he knew.

"I've heard about these things." He told them. "They're called 'Maulers' for their ferocity and strength. They inhabit this area and occasionally attack travellers if there's no food available. They're difficult to kill, and if they really have Psynergy infused as Isaac says, I imagine that they're very deadly now."

"Well if any of them attack us, I'll just have to give them a taste of my axe!" Garet proclaimed boldly.

"You always resort to the axe." Ivan mused.

"Garet, Ivan said that they only attack travellers if they're hungry, so hopefully they'll leave us alone." Isaac commented.

"If we just stay out of the way, then they should stay out of ours." Ivan added.

But they still kept a wary eye out on the frozen landscape. Night came quickly, and they huddled by the fire for warmth, carefully watching for anything that might come out of the darkness. Garet kindly cooked dinner for them, three large slabs of beef roasted to what Garet called to 'perfection', which meant they were very well done, though Isaac and Ivan were too polite to complain. It was very filling, and Isaac only just managed to fit it in. Ivan couldn't even do that, his tiny frame filled up by only half of it, which Garet kindly offered to finish for him. Then he proclaimed he could still go for desert, but Isaac warned him that they had to conserve their rations.

Isaac was the first to go on watch, guarding against predators of the frosty night while the others slept. But he had difficulty paying attention. All he could think about was what they would do when they confronted Saturos and Menardi, the two leaders of the gang. How could he get Jenna back, safe and sound? Felix had said he would prevent Saturos from harming her, but how could he do this to his own sister? Steal from his own people? The traitor!

Alex had suggested that if they wanted her back, they would give them the Mars Star. Isaac knew that, even though he had been tasked by the Elders and even the Wise One himself, to retrieve the stars and stop the release of Alchemy on the world, he would gladly hand it over to have her back, he couldn't bear to just abandon her to them. Yet he had to. For the good of Weyard, somehow he had to get the stars back.

And somehow, he determined, rescue Jenna. He was glad when his turn was over and Garet took his place so that he could sleep. But he still had nightmares about Jenna held captive by Saturos and Menardi wielding Alchemy, the Mars Star in hand, and Felix turning his back on them all.

When Ivan shook him awake the next morning, he was grateful to be back in reality. At least here, he could hope to prevent such nightmares. After a light breakfast, which thankfully Ivan prepared they packed up camp and started trekking downhill north-east through the snow. The sun had only just risen in the east, and Isaac estimated that, if they kept up a good pace, they should reach Imil by noon. From there, it was straight to the Lighthouse. They managed to make out the trodden down path in the snow, despite the fresh layer from the night before.

It was quiet and peaceful as they walked, snow birds flying overhead and strange creatures scampering in the pines. The whole environment seemed to paint an idyllic winter scene.

But it was still cold, as cold as any winter as Isaac had ever felt, and the bitter, chilly winds didn't help. They tightened their cloaks in an effort to keep warm, their breaths forming mists in front of their eyes. The trail went over a snow covered wooden bridge that spanned a frozen river, and continued through the serene, snowy landscape.

They began to get complacent, comfortable in the landscape and sure that nothing would attack them. Garet actually seemed the least affected by the cold of the three. Isaac reasoned it was probably because Mars Adepts bodies generated more heat, or some such.

The snow trek was pretty boring until finally, something actually happened.

Out of the trees to the side cam a monstrous mauler, standing on its two hind legs. It must have been nine-feet tall! With the back of one hairy, mighty paw, it flung Ivan by his chest off the road. Garet turned to face it, but was to slow to do anything before it flung him down to the ground and went straight for Isaac. Of course, he had the food in his pack.

In an effort to slow it down, Isaac raised one leather gloved hand, focused his mind and made the ground beneath the giant bear shake. The snow was thin on the road, and the tremor was enough the cause the Mauler to step back and stumble uncertainly.

Taking advantage of it's momentary weakness, Isaac formed a stone spire in his hand, the hard rock crystallising at his fingertips. It launched with impressive speed, pointed end slamming into the maulers rough hide, the shock knocking it off it's feet, at which point Isaac let the quake cease.

At that moment, a bolt of lighting lanced from the heavens, hitting the mauler and paralysing it with shock. Isaac knew that Ivan was on the offensive now.

Raising his Shaman's Rod, a swirling whirlwind formed around the overgrown bear. Flakes of snow were spinning around it in a white cloud and it couldn't see, swiping the air in front of it.

Then Garet, up on his feet again, launched dozens of mini fireballs which joined the snowy vortex, melting the snow and burning the maulers fur. The whirlwind died, revealing a very angry looking, burnt and wet Mauler.

With rage in it's eyes, it knocked Isaac's sword out of his hand when he moved to strike it. Turning to pick it up he heard Garet grunt in pain and the Mauler roaring with rage. He turned around again with sword in hand, and saw that Garet had been knocked on his back, just now getting up, and the mauler standing above a dazed and injured Ivan, who held his new sword in hand.

Isaac raced to save him, but Garet got there first. Raising his axe, which glowed with a red fiery fury, and slammed it into it's upper right thigh. A new Psynergy ability seemed to form in his head, and a glowing, white phantom sword of pure Psynergy formed in front of him and slammed into the Mauler's back with incredible velocity.

It exploded in a brilliant white flash, sending glowing, white sparks in every direction. When his vision cleared, the Mauler lay unconscious on the ground next to where Ivan had been.

"That was a close one!" Ivan breathed. "My Mythril mail prevented me from getting injured but I am a little winded."

"I told you we could handle one of them!" Garet panted, with a broad smile across his face.

_What was that ability I used?_ Isaac wondered. A few old legends from the elders came to mind. Ragnarok it was called, a powerful Venus attack of old. And he just figured it out, in order to help his friends. Interesting.

"I never knew you could do that sort of attack!" Ivan said with a look to him.

"Yeah, what was that?" Garet asked his grin fading.

"It was called Ragnarok." Isaac told them. "Somehow it just came to mind."

"Well, whatever it was, it worked." Garet replied with a shrug, and hung his axe back at his side. Isaac sheathed his sword at his back and moved to Ivan.

"Let me heal you of any injuries you have Ivan. And you to, Garet." He added with a look to the tall Mars Adept. Placing a hand on the younger, shorter Adept's forehead, he cast Cure, the warm pulsing yellow glow healing his bruised and battered chest. He did the same to Garet, despite the red-heads complaints.

Then they hefted their packs and continued their way through the snowy pine forest that had been blocking their view north-east and got their first look at Mercury Lighthouse.

The sight took Isaac's breath away. A massive, giant, tall tower that was a sea blue. It must have been as tall as Mount Aleph! But where Aleph was a natural, giant structure, this had been man-made, blue bricks forming a monolithic tower that stood two thousand feet into the air, ending in a wide, flat aerie at the top. That was where the Mercury Star had to go to ignite the beacon of power and light atop the Lighthouse. Isaac knew from legend that there was a pit or well in the centre of that aerie that the Star had to be cast in to unleash it's pure power on the world. And inside they had to somehow climb all that way up?

"That thing's huge!" Garet exclaimed.

"And it's stood for thousands of years, since the Lost Age." Ivan added. "Isn't that right, Isaac?" Isaac nodded.

"Yes, it was the source of all the Mercury Clan's power up until its beacon was extinguished. But if we don't hurry up, Saturos will unleash the power of the Mercury Star, and that will be one less seal for them! Come on, let's go!"

As he looked down, he noticed that a half mile or so away from the Lighthouse, towards them, was the town of Imil. It was about the same size as Vault, all the snow covered roofs had protruding chimneys with thick plumes of smoke leaving them. Without wasting any time, the three Adept's made their way to Imil and Mercury Lighthouse.

**A/N: **And that's done. Yeah, sorry for not getting straight there, but I wanted to throw in some other stuff before hand, instead of getting straight into it. Well, like I said, next chapter is gonna be good. Oh yes, I've also rewritten the first chap (the prologue), so it's a bit better now.

Oh, yes, before I forget, me and my mate Cyan Light recently posted "Shadow Wars", a novel regarding the war that sealed away Alchemy, with a few new twists. Go check it out! It's really good! It'll be the first ever novel to actually detail the sealing of Alchemy, and actually be completed! (To my knowledge anyway)

And one more shameless plug, check out "Arrival of the Adepts", a really long one-shot detailing how Weyard got Alchemy in the first place, written entirely by me! It's on the same account as Shadow Wars, (you can find links in my bio), so go check it out!

All right, then, that's enough from me, go review now.


	9. Mercury Lighthouse

**A/N: EDIT: For some reason, this ff.n screwed things up, and started displaying chapter nine instead of eight when you selected this one. Not sure why. Anyway, I re-uploaded this to fix things up, but unfortunately lost all the original authors notes and review replies. Sorry about that. Anyway, hopefully this fixes up that weird problem, and now ALL my chapters are displayed properly the way I intended them to be.**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**MERCURY LIGHTHOUSE**

They walked down the snowy path quickly and found themselves walking between the snow covered houses of Imil. There were few people out on the streets, evidently most people preferred to stay inside their warm houses than outside in the cold air.

"Where are we going to find an Inn for the night?" Isaac asked, a frosty mist coming from his mouth.

"I don't know." Ivan replied. "I've never actually been here before; we'll have to ask around."

"We'll only be able to stay long enough to book a room and leave our packs there, and then we'll have to head straight for the Lighthouse." Isaac told them. They asked a couple of Imilians where the local Inn was and they kindly pointed them in the right direction and commented on how once it was to have travellers in Imil again. Apparently Saturos and Menardi had already been in town. Even now they could've been in Mercury Lighthouse attempting to make their way up.

Isaac found the inn with no problem, in the north west of town, the front doorway swept clean of snow.

Inside, the Innkeeper was eager to take their names and grateful for their presence.

"Ah, it seems good times are upon us!" He told them. "First a party of six foreigners, now another three! Maybe soon, we'll have a thriving business instead of a few customers."

"Well, we'll only be staying for a night or two." Isaac replied. "We intend to see the Lighthouse."

"Ah, well then, you should see Mia, she's our town healer, she could tell you something about it." he replied. "Without her, we'd all be dead, she's a saint! She's in charge of looking after it and healing all the towns' people by herself, ever since her partner left."

"I think we should see this Mia, she might be able to help us with the Lighthouse." Ivan suggested.

"Where is she?" Isaac asked.

"She was here a moment ago, and then she went back to the Sanctum," he said, pointing to a house across the ice covered river, "You should hurry. Leave your packs here; I'll take them to your rooms for you."

"Thank you so much." Isaac replied. He dropped his pack to the ground by the counter, followed by the others, and headed outside, along with Garet and Ivan.

They ran through the snowy streets and across the wooden bridge that spanned the river, and made their way to a small stone building covered in snow. Isaac pushed open the stone door. Hopefully Mia would help them with getting into and through the Lighthouse. It would certainly give them an edge that their villains lacked. Inside was a small square room with an altar at the end. Behind were two young children, a boy and girl, were warming themselves by the fire. They both turned to see them, shivering in the old air that they let in. As Isaac closed the door behind them, the girl asked, "Are you looking for Mia?" Isaac nodded.

"Just over there." The boy pointed over to the far side of the room.

On the far side of the room were two figures standing by a bed, with a sick old man lying in it. The two women kneeling by the bed he guessed to be the man's wife and... Mia.

The town healer Mia was a beautiful young woman only a little less than Isaac's age. She had long blue hair and kind, compassionate aqua eyes. Her dress was snow white with light-blue markings on it that looked both simple but classy, elegant but allowed for free movement.

She was feeding the man a warm liquid that she had just laced herbs into. The man coughed a bit as he swallowed the mixture.

"How do you feel?" she asked sweetly, in a soft, young voice that conveyed concern and at the same time professionalism that only came from years of experience as a healer. The old man tried to put on a brave face, but his continued coughing gave him away. She reached into her bag and brought out a vial of green medicine. She forced him to swallow it, despite his obvious revulsion. As she did this, she suddenly began to glow with Psynergy!

She waved her hand over his forehead, waves of blue healing Psynergy began to flow into him. Abruptly his coughing ceased and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel now?" Mia asked, checking the man's temperature with her hand.

"I feel a lot better now, Mia." the old man replied. "Thank you, dear."

"Oh, you are an angel Mia." The old lady added. "Thank you so much." Mia smiled politely.

"Just make sure he stays warm and gets plenty of rest." Mia told her. "You should get plenty of rest to." They said their farewells and as she turned to leave, Mia noticed the Adept trio standing by the door.

"Oh, hello! Who are you?" She asked a little surprised, shock in her blue eyes.

"Uh, hi. I'm Isaac of Vale." he replied, "and these are my partners, Garet," he motioned to the red-haired Fire Adept, who smiled broadly and nodded, "and Ivan, who hails from Kalay." he gestured to the blonde-haired Wind Adept, who smiled and bowed his head politely.

"Well, how may I help you?" she enquired. Isaac was about talk to her about getting help entering the Lighthouse, when all of a sudden they felt rather than saw a Psynergetic flash through the room. The look of the old couple suggested they noticed nothing. Obviously only the three Adepts, and Mia who must have been one, noticed it.

"What was that?" she cried, blue eyes filling with fear. She rushed to the window and looked out to the Lighthouse. "It can't be..." she murmured. "Alex and I are the only ones that can enter the Lighthouse... it must have been... oh no... Alex, what have you done?"

Then she rushed out the door, and headed in the direction of Mercury Lighthouse without a glance towards them.

"Wait!" Isaac called out, but she ignored them. "I guess we've got no choice but to follow her." he sighed, "We're heading that way anyway." They left the house quickly, and followed after the blue-haired healer using her footprints in the snow covered streets to help guide them. They followed her winding through the streets of Imil to the east, always in the direction of the Lighthouse.

Within no time, they'd left town and were heading through the fields of snow towards Mercury Lighthouse. As they ran after her, Isaac's mind thought back to what Mia had said back at that house. She had talked about someone called Alex, the same name as one of Saturos' companions, the blue-haired guy who had teleported into Sol Sanctum. Could they be one and the same? Strange indeed.

"She sure can run through the snow in a dress pretty well!" Garet noted grumpily, huffing.

"She's probably used to it!" Ivan replied. "It snows all year around Imil."

They had a point, Isaac noticed, as they hadn't gained upon her yet, in fact the distance had increased! But they were almost upon the Lighthouse now.

Now that he thought about it, Isaac remembered that people had complained of Mia's companion leaving her, could that be Alex? Was there a connection between them of some sort? They did both have that strange blue hair.

Isaac's thoughts were interrupted as they reached the foot of Mercury Lighthouse. The Lighthouse entry was paved with blue stone and what a appeared to be a dried up fountain stood just a few feet down from the doorway. In front of it was a plaque which read- _"When the light shines, the healing waters of Hermes shall flow."_

To either side of the entry path of the Lighthouse, two ladders climbed up to ledges on the Lighthouses south-west and south-east faces. Up close, Isaac could see that the Lighthouse was massively thick, several hundred feet at it's base.

And there, in front of the entry door, stood the blue-haired healer, Mia, looking up at the Lighthouse with concern.

"Someone is in here..." Isaac heard her muse to herself. "But only Alex and I are able to enter..."

The three of them rushed up to her, and saw that before the door, stood a large heavy statue of a woman pouring water from a vase. It looked to heavy for even all four of them to move physically.

"This statue is blocking my way!" she complained aloud. "How did it get here?" Obviously, it had been placed there to prevent someone such as her from following them into the Lighthouse, and thus preventing them from lighting the beacon.

"Don't worry; we'll help you get it out of the way!" Isaac told her. She spun around quickly, shocked at seeing them.

"What are you three doing up here?" she asked totally surprised. It was then that Isaac noticed she was holding a long ornate golden staff, with a blue crystal orb mounted on the top end. It was only about half her size in height.

"Well, that's sort of a long story." Ivan started as Isaac strode up towards the statue.

"You see, we're chasing after the people who entered this Lighthouse," Garet told her, "and it's important we stop them."

Before Mia could reply, Isaac started to shift the statue to the side, right palm outstretched, mind focused and his body glowing with Psynergy. He shifted the statue out of the doorway with ease. He was getting better at this, and it became easier as he became stronger. Behind the statue in the doorway, a blue shimmering wall of Psynergetic power blocked the way.

"Did you move that statue?" Mia asked in amazed surprise. Isaac nodded.

"Yes I did." he replied simply.

"I thought so." She replied. "I could see some ghostly force pushing it. The same power that the Mercury Clan uses"

Isaac nodded to himself. Further proof, if any was needed, that Mia was indeed an Adept, and probably a Water Adept, if he had to make an educated guess.

"So, you could see our Psynergy?" Garet asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Psynergy?" She replied, forming the unfamiliar awkwardly. "Is that what you call it?"

She didn't even know its name? Maybe another person born with 'strange powers' she didn't understand. Isaac was surprised.

"We thought you were using Psynergy when you were healing that old man." Ivan replied. He of all of them would know what it was like growing up not understanding the unique powers that Adepts possessed. But Mia shook her head.

"That's a power called Ply." she told them. "It's a power generated through meditation that's been handed down through the Mercury Clan since the beginning."

_The Mercury Clan!_ Isaac thought excitedly. That meant she was a Water Adept! Kraden had said all the Clans of the Lost Age had died out, but there was still some remnant left! Although it seemed that of the once proud, hundreds strong Adepts of the Mercury Clan, all that remained was this Mia, her partner and those 2 kids in Imil Sanctum.

But still, they existed. Then a thought occurred to Isaac.

"So as a Clan member, it's your job to heal the sick of Imil, and protect the Lighthouse from outsiders." he asked her. She nodded at his correct assumption.

"Yes, we are sworn to protect the Lighthouse from intruders. It is said that a great power dwells within the Lighthouse which must not be unleashed."

Isaac knew what she meant. The full power of Mercury Psynergy would be released when the Mercury Star was placed inside the well of power at the top of the Lighthouse. And one of the seals on Alchemy would be lost. She went on. "No-one must enter Mercury Lighthouse. No-one save the Mercury Clan is allowed or even able to enter."

Mia turned to look at the doorway. "I have to go now." she told them, "I have to find whoever entered the Lighthouse."

Then, raising her hand, she used an unrecognizable Psynergy ability, and the shimmering blue wall ceased all it's movement. Then she placed her hand in it, and the entire barrier dissipated after glowing white. Without another word, she ran into the Lighthouse.

"I suppose we're going in to follow her again." Garet muttered.

"We'll have to." Ivan replied, "She's the only one who knows her way around, and can get us to the top."

"Well then, let's go!" Isaac told them, and they ran after the town healer into the Lighthouse. It didn't take long for them to find her. As soon as they entered, they found her standing in the middle of a corridor. On either side of the central pathway were long pools of water, stretching from end to end, and as wide as the pathway. On either side in the water stood three blue crystalline statues of a serene woman pouring a vase of water from her shoulder.

They saw why Mia had stopped. Before her stood a giant monster, a green lizard creature standing like a man head and shoulders above Mia, holding an old sword.

"A monster inside Mercury Lighthouse?" She shrieked, "How could this be?" She clutched her golden staff as though she meant to defend herself with it, and slowly got herself into a battle position.

Isaac's party wasted no time. Ivan immediately unleashed a bolt of lightning from his Shaman's Rod, halting the lizard creature where it stood. Isaac formed a stone spire, launching it from his hand, it slammed into it's belly, piercing it open and spilling its blood causing the monster to step back. To finish it off, Garet launched a wave of searing hot flames, killing the beast.

Mia turned to face them, another look of surprise on her face, whether because they had saved her or because of their powers, Isaac didn't know.

"You saved me!" she exclaimed gratefully.

"It was the least we could do." Isaac replied with a shrug.

"Thank you so much!" she replied, nodding politely, "But I must go!" And with that, she turned heel on them and raced up through the corridor holding up her dress, passed through the door and was gone before Isaac could say anything more.

"Do you think she'll even stop for a minute to hear what we have to say?" Garet complained.

"By the looks of it, no." Ivan replied wryly.

"Strange that, as we both have the same goals, we seem to lack co-ordination." Isaac thought aloud, "Come on, quickly! Let's catch up to her! I'm sure she'll be willing to work with us once she realizes we both want the same thing."

Following after Mia, they all left the water lined corridor through the opposite door, and found themselves in a large square room with a high roof. In the centre of the room was a large, deep pool of water stretching up to the back wall, but leaving wide walkways on the side and front walls. Along the back wall, unreachable by the side-wall walkways, in a large indentation in the wall, was a huge statue of the upper half of a wise, serene woman, with her hands folded, palms facing upward, on the floor in front of her just next to the water pool, and a glowing red orb hanging from her neck. Just in front of her hands, jutting out from the water, was a platform just large enough for four people to stand on.

Just in front of the door stood a plaque, which read- _"He who honours the water goddess shall stand in the centre of all, like a swan in a rippling lake."_

"What the heck could that mean?" Garet asked no-one in particular. Isaac just shrugged in reply. At the ends of both the side walkways, along the back wall were two doorways, one of which Mia must've entered.

"Which one of those doors did she take?" Ivan asked. Isaac decided to hazard a guess.

"Let's take the right. It's as good as taking the left." They all agreed on this and entered the door.

In the next room, they discovered that both doors entered there anyway. It was a wide room, on each side were wide pools of water, on the far side of which were pathways like this one, which led to more doorways. They went through this and arrived at what Isaac guessed was the central room of the lowest floor of Mercury Lighthouse.

It was a huge room stretching out in every direction. Almost every part was part of a massive pool of water, with platforms of blue stone jutting just above the surface scattered throughout. They stood on one just by the door now.

Isaac realized that these platforms formed pathways of a sort across the water to other doorways in the walls. The 'pathways' were laid out so that only certain doors could be reached without resorting to swimming, which it was by far too cold for.

They only pathway they could access, however, led to a central support pillar in the middle of the room. Inside this incredibly wide pillar was a staircase spiralling up to the upper floors of Mercury Lighthouse.

Without a second thought, Isaac leaped across the platforms to the staircase pillar, and Ivan followed close behind. Garet, like at the river outside Goma Cave, was reluctant to leap across.

"Come on, Garet!" Ivan called out. "It's only water!"

"We need to hurry!" Isaac added. He didn't want to risk losing Jenna and failing to stop Saturos and Menardi because his friend was afraid of water.

Garet took a deep breath, muttered "I'll kill that Wise One for putting us on this quest!" and then began to leap across to them.

"See, that wasn't so hard!" Ivan teased him.

"Yeah, whatever." Garet muttered in reply. Isaac led them up the spiralling staircase. On the next level, they were forced to double back and follow the corridor as it made it's way through the Lighthouse.

And there they found Mia, standing there forlornly as if she had another problem troubling her. In front of her, again blocking her way was another statue, intentionally shifted to block the way.

"Who could've done this?" she complained to herself, trying in vain to push it away physically.

"Looks like you need a hand there!" Garet called out. Mia turned to see them, at first surprised, but then smiled.

"I should have known you guys would come to save me again!"

"It's only the gentlemanly thing to do," Isaac smiled, mocking a bow, "Now, about that statue…"

"Allow me!" Garet interrupted, "I'm good at this sort of thing!" Glowing with Psynergy, Garet moved the statue out of the way.

"And you've saved me again, haven't you?" she asked with a smile.

"I guess we have." Isaac replied. She looked to the statue.

"I wonder if Alex would have…" She murmured softly, "but no, Alex wouldn't do such a thing. But then… what if he isn't alone?" Isaac wondered if he should get his catch beads ready, in case she tried to run off again.

"Wait, don't go just yet!" Ivan interjected, "We need to talk!"

"Alex isn't alone." Garet told her, "We're tracking him and his friends up here to stop them from unleashing a great power!"

"And we need your help to get through here to stop them." Isaac added. She seemed to look thoughtful for a moment.

"It is my duty to protect the Lighthouse." she murmured. "I'm sure there are more places further up I can't pass without you. I need you're help." She turned to Isaac. "I sense there's something special about you; I feel I can trust you. Let's go!"

"Alright, join the party!" Garet smiled broadly.

"Come on, let's hurry." Isaac called out to them, "Saturos and Alex can't be that far ahead of us."

"Right, Isaac, let's go!" Ivan replied.

"Alex and Sa- who?" Mia asked a little puzzled.

"We'll explain on the way." Garet told her. As they went up through the Lighthouse, Isaac quickly gave Mia a brief overview on what Saturos' group were planning on doing, and why they were trying to stop them. Essentially, he explained, Saturos and Menardi, as well as their cohorts Alex and Felix had kidnapped their friends Jenna and Kraden. Now they were trying to break into the Elemental Lighthouses to unleash their power on the world, obviously so they could wield the full might of Alchemy for themselves, which entitled them to eternal life and unlimited power.

"So we need to stop them as soon as possible." Ivan finished for him.

"We need to get to the top of the Lighthouse before they do, so we can stop them!" Garet added. Mia nodded.

"I know my way around Mercury. Follow me." And she led them through the passages up trough the Lighthouse.

"You know, it's good that you have us with you." Garet told Mia, as hey hurried towards the doorway at the end, "you may be the Guardian of the Lighthouse, but you couldn't defend it against the people who are breaking into it now." She flashed a wry smile, blue aqua eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You underestimate my powers, Garet." she told him, "I'm more than just a simple healer you know, I can look after myself." Passing through the door, they found themselves in a large, wide open, blue room. Along the far wall were several waterfalls, streaming from a hole in the roof, down through into some metal grating along the floor, allowing the water through. There was no other doorway, save the one that they had entered.

"Is the doorway hidden behind one of these waterfalls?" Ivan asked speculatively, second-guessing what Isaac had already thought silently to himself. Mia nodded.

"Oh, great!" Garet quickly complained, "We're going to have to get wet!" Mia gave him a peculiar look.

"It's only water, it's no big deal! If it makes you happy, I'll use my powers so that you don't even get wet!" Garet breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I don't know why someone would be so afraid of water!"

"It's because of his element." Isaac explained, "His element is- Mia, look out!"

Suddenly, some weird, dangerous looking blue blobs oozed their way out of the metal grating on the floor, and quickly moved to attack them. They slowly took shape, and formed themselves into blue, watery, slimy snake-like creatures with beady blue eyes and pointed horns atop their head. There were four of them.

Ivan, with the fastest reaction speed, blasted them back with a gust of wind before they could attack them. Their presence seemed to resonate Psynergy. More monsters inside the Lighthouse, but what on Weyard were the ooze things?

Mia raised her hand, palm outward, and to Isaac's surprise, water formed out of nothing, blasting out as though by a powerful pump, sending one crashing into the back of the wall.

Isaac quickly drew his sword, and noticed out of the corner of his eye, Ivan do the same and Garet get his double-edged battle axe out. Garet hurled a fireball at one of them, scoring a direct hit, but it had little effect on it, probably because their bodies were made of water.

Ivan, not to confident with his sword handling skills, gripped his Shaman's Rod with his other hand, and unleashed a bolt of lightning at another, seemingly killing it, as it's body melted back into water.

Isaac blasted the Ooze nearest to him with a heavy stone spire, and then swung at it with his sword, severing it in two and killing it. The Ooze that Garet had attempted to fry now launched itself at Mia, horn pointed forward to pierce her young body.

But Mia was ready, holding her golden staff ready, she channelled Psynergy into it, causing the clear spherical orb at the end to glow blue. She swung with all her might, sending the Ooze flying back with a terrific blast of white-blue Psynergy, transforming the Ooze's watery body into ice before it shattered on impact with the wall. The left one last one by the wall, that Mia had blasted back moments before. This time Garet lashed out more flames at it from his hands than before, then attempted to destroy it with his red hot axe. Within seconds, he had decimated the Ooze.

"Are you Adepts of the other elements?" Mia asked now that the battle was over. Isaac nodded.

"Yes, in fact, I don't think we've even properly introduced ourselves. I'm Isaac, Venus Adept of the Earth element. That big guy with the axe is Garet, Mars Adept of the Fire element. And this short kid with the rod is Ivan, Jupiter Adept of the Wind element."  
Mia nodded. "Well, you obviously already know who I am. I am Mia, healer of Imil, last of the Mercury Clan and Adept of the Water Element."

"Well, now that the introductions are done," Garet stated, "Can we find a way up?"

"He's right," Ivan added, "We can't waste anymore time."

"Right," Mia replied, "Follow me." She immediately ran up to a waterfall without even investigating the others, stood on the metal grating and raised her staff, her body glowing with Psynergy. Obeying the light of her staffs glowing orb, the curtain of water parted to show behind it a passage deeper into the lighthouse's interior.

"Hurry." she told them. Sheathing their weapons, they followed her across the grating. As he walked across it, Isaac looked down and noticed that the falling water drifted down beyond Isaac's eyesight into the blackness below, the sound of its splashing echoing up the chasm. It was a long way down. Isaac focused his eyes ahead of him and didn't look down again. After they has all passed through, Mia let the curtain of water fall back down, and continued to lead them up through the passages of Mercury Lighthouse.

"I don't know how there could possibly be monsters in this Lighthouse!" she complained aloud, "It's not right, it makes no sense."

"We don't really understand either." Isaac admitted.

"I think we should still be careful and on our guard the whole way through, though." Ivan added. "We should try to be a bit quieter, maybe." Isaac immediately saw the sense in that. The less noise they made, the less monsters they would have to deal with, and thus the better condition they would be in to confront Saturos and Menardi.

"That's a good idea, Ivan. Everyone, keep quiet. Mia, lead the way, if you please."

"Of course." she replied. "I know the quickest way. If we follow this way, it'll take us to a place where I can use my power to make a shortcut through the Lighthouse, allowing us to find the aerie quicker. I'll show you." She led them quickly, but quietly through the blue stone corridors of Mercury Lighthouse. Several times they ran into lone blue-scaled lizard-men, or blobs of watery, slimy ooze creatures, but always they were able to defeat them with ease. There were more rooms with hidden passages behind waterfalls, and rooms that required various puzzles to be solved, but Mia always knew the way through. Isaac noticed that the monsters were always Water Psynergy based, possibly because of the Lighthouses power. But soon, under the cerulean-haired healer's navigation, they found their way to a square room with a single hole in the middle of the room. Mia motioned towards it.

"We have to go down there." she told them.

"Down there?" Garet asked cocking an eyebrow. Mia nodded.

"Down there."

"What's down there?" Ivan asked quizzically.

"I'll show you." And she jumped down the hole, leaving the three male Adepts staring after her.

"We'd better follow her if we're to find out where she's headed." Isaac told them, and then jumped down after her. He flew down fast, his yellow scarf trailing behind him. After only a couple of seconds, he landed heavily on a hard surface. It was a square yellowed stone surrounded by a large pool of water. He noticed that Mia was already standing on a nearby platform by a huge statue. Looking around, Isaac realized that this was the first room that they had found in the Lighthouse, with the plaque that stated _"He who honours the goddess shall stand at the centre of all, like a swan in a rippling lake."_

What were they doing all the way back here? How was _this_ a shortcut?

"Coming down!" Garet called, and Isaac got out of the way just in time to avoid having the large, heavy-set Mars Adept from landing on him. Ignoring his friends rash actions, Isaac leaped to the platform where Mia was standing, staring at the large statue, large ruby set in it's forehead.

"Come on Ivan, I'll catch you!" he heard Garet call out to their remaining member.

"It seems like kind of a waste of time to go all the way around here." he told her, "If this is the shortcut you were referring to, why not just swim across? Sure, it's cold and wet, but time-wise…"

"No." she interrupted, "The powers of the Lighthouse will not allow it. The water… prevents such things. You would not understand." Isaac heard a loud thump and a surprised grunt, and turned to see Ivan atop a shocked Garet.

"I thought you said you'd catch me!" exclaimed a shocked and resentful Ivan.

"Well, it's not my fault I was a little slow!" Garet muttered in reply ruefully.

Isaac ignored them, and turned back to Mia.

"So, what do we do here to make this shortcut?" he asked her. She eyed the large statue of the calm faced woman.

"We honour the Goddess." She replied simply.

"And how do we do that?" he asked, as Ivan and Garet hopped onto the open hands to join them.

"Let me show you." Her body began to fill with Psynergy as she raised her hand towards the amulet in the chest, she cast her Ply ability into it. It began to glow a bright red, emanating waves of Psynergy which passed through the Lighthouse, reacting with its power.

"What did that do?" Garet questioned, looking about the room.

"It opened up the water pathways." Mia explained as she stepped onto the now golden glowing platform sticking up out of the water. As she stood, to Isaac's shock, blue-watery Psynergy seemed to flow up out of it through Mia's body. Without giving any sign this was anything out of the ordinary, she stepped lithely onto the rippling waters surface and stood on it! The water was holding her up, that platform gave her the power to walk on water!

Isaac couldn't believe it. With two more quick steps, she reached the pathway on the other side of the pool. With each step, the power in her body dissipated somewhat, and when she reached the pathway, it had disappeared completely. Turning to face them, she beckoned for them to follow.

"Step quickly, the Lighthouses power will only allow you to take three steps. After that you will sink, if you do, Mercury will not permit you to remain in the water."

"This is just plain weird!" Garet muttered.

"Well, let's just give it a try." Ivan shrugged. Isaac stepped onto the platform without a word, and immediately felt power flow up through into him. Tentatively, unsure of how well it would work, he stepped onto the waters surface. It held up his weight, as though it were some sort of flexible solid, refusing to give under him. He could feel power leaving him, entering the water to support his weight.

'_Only allow you to take three steps…'_

Holding his breath, he leaped the last two steps to stand next to Mia. Ivan volunteered to go next, noting Garet's anxiety. He strode across the water apprehensively, being careful no to get his robes wet.

That left Garet to cross. He managed to get to the glowing platform, filling himself with its power, easily enough. But he seemed reluctant to walk the water. Before anyone could say anything to encourage him though, his bulky frame leapt across the water quickly in three broad strides.

"There, I did it!" he breathed, as if to reassure himself.

"Quickly, we must hurry; they could be someway ahead of us still." Mia warned them. Not wasting any time, they followed her through the familiar passages. They again reached the large room, where they had ascended, with the many doorways, and pathways over water that were inaccessible.

But not anymore. Mia showed them to another power platform that they could use to reach another over the water, and subsequently others. Suddenly, to Isaac's eyes, many new pathways through the Lighthouse had now opened up. Using the platform to fill her with Mercury's power, Mia hopped across the water to another platform in the water. Isaac followed likewise, using Mercury's power to walk water to where Mia stood. Garet and Ivan immediately followed, this time without Garet's added grumbling.

When they were all there, Mia continued to lead them deeper into the heart of the Lighthouse. After more "water hopping" through the large room, Mia led them into one of the doorways, up a flight of stairs and through more of Mercury's corridors. Several times, the came across Psynergy creatures, which they were always quick to dispatch. Water blue Ooze creatures, blue-skinned Lizard Men. All creatures warped by accidental infusions with Psynergy Stones blasted from Mount Aleph's eruption. And always wielding Water Psynergy. Somehow the power of Mercury Lighthouse ensured that they would be water-based Psynergy creatures. But Isaac could find no explanation for it.

But they were easily drawn off all the same. However, their job was made somewhat easier for them- often they found burned and charred body's of various creatures the Saturos' party had killed, so they didn't have to face as many as they'd feared.

Mia showed them the quickest way to the top. Through multitudes of corridors, up many stairways, up and up the many floors of the Lighthouse. Slowly the made their way to the top of the Lighthouse, to the aerie to intercept Saturos' crew.

They crossed so many power platform linked pathways, that they soon lost all appeal and wonder in Isaac's eyes, and even Garet stopped caring to complain. Often they found sealed doors that could only be opened by Mia's power. More times than he cared to count, there were hidden passageways, "shortcuts" as they were, behind waterfalls that only Mia could find. And always she would show them the way by placing her golden staff, blue crystal orb first, into the falling water and, channelling her Psynergy, split the water current so they could walk through perfectly dry.

Isaac soon lost track of where they were going, or how far they'd been. All he knew was that they would attempt to retrieve the Elemental Stars, rescue Jenna and Kraden and end this whole mess. But how, exactly? What would they DO when the met them? Surely they wouldn't just surrender the Stars without a fight. And rescuing Jenna would not be easy. True, he could just give them the Mars Star, but that would not help at all. It would be handing them the one remaining thing they lacked to assure their diabolical plans. They could not allow that. The Elders of Vale, and even the Wise One himself had tasked them with the retrieval of the Stars and the defence of the Mars Star.

But Isaac knew in his heart that he would even do that to get Jenna back. He had to be strong. They would have to fight Saturos and his crew somehow. But Saturos and Menardi were very powerful, the two most powerful of the group evidently. Alex, he was unsure of his strength, Mia hadn't said anything about him yet, assuming that this Alex was really the one she knew. And Felix… how strong was he, now? He had changed so much from the kid that Isaac had known. Felix had been such a good, honest kid. Why had he changed? And how were they going to defeat them? Of what element were they? Alex may have been a Water Adept. But what of the others? Isaac didn't know. Too many questions, too few answers.

Isaac and Garet's strength had increased since leaving Vale. And Ivan and Mia both seemed to be about equal strength with them. But was it enough? But still, they had Adepts of each of the four elements, surely they would have some advantage? They would find a way somehow. They had to.

They entered one more large square room, hardly any different form any other. But there was a large group of monsters standing around. Half a dozen blue, slimey Oozes, three large blue scaled Lizard-like men. They blocked the only other door within the room.

"How did so many of these things get in the Lighthouse?" Mia shrieked out loud in frustration at seeing more of the things. They had already fought so many of these things; surely they had slain most of them by now?

"Hopefully these are the last within here." Isaac muttered as he gripped his sword.

"What do we have to fear from these things?" Garet exclaimed confidently, "We've taken care of so many before."

"And we've used a lot of Psynergy doing that." Ivan reminded him, "We should be careful."

They didn't have a chance to say anything else, as the creatures came at them at that moment. Two Oozes squirmed towards each Adept, and the three Lizard-men started to surround slowly, hissing and growling challenges to the four youths. Isaac immediately flung away the two Oozes with his Psynergy, and lunged for the Lizard creature with his sword. Behind him, he heard the others joining the battle, the sound of Garet's flames, Ivan's lightning bolts, Mia's ice missiles. But the lizard was agile, cautious. Repeatedly it dodged his swings, and lunged at him when he let down his guard, but he was always able to defend himself. He decided to try using a Psynergy attack.

Before he could think of one though, one of the Ooze creatures wrapped itself around his leg, constricting his movements. The Lizard-man then lunged at Isaac. Not wasting a moment, he raised his blade, and the Lizard-Man impaled itself upon the weapon. Blasting the Ooze of his leg with Psynergy, Isaac swung his sword, severing in two the other one as it tried to lunge at him with its horn. Then he stabbed the other one at his foot before it had a chance to get up. Turning around he saw the others just finishing their battles with the other creatures. It was already over. But they were all beginning to run low on their Psynergy supplies. They had used a great deal slaying monsters and opening their way through the Lighthouse. Isaac hoped that they still had enough to face off against Saturos and his crew. It would have to be.

"I hope that's the last of these horrible creatures that are in here." Mia exclaimed.

"It should hopefully be," Ivan replied. "There can't be an unlimited amount of them."

"We've been climbing this Lighthouse for ages!" Garet moaned, "How much further to the top?"

"We're very nearly on the top floor." Mia replied coolly, "Just a bit more through this way and we're there."

"Good, I was getting worried we'd never get there!" Isaac said. Mia immediately made for the door, channelling her Psynergy into it before she even got there, so that the door would open to admit one of the Mercury Clan. They shuffled through the corridor beyond silently, the blue stone door shutting behind them, sealing out all others. It didn't take long to find the end of the hallway, blocked of by a falling sheet of water. Mia parted the clear liquid with her Psynergy and they entered a solitary room.

Apart from the waterfall doorway, and the steel grating it passed through, the only other feature of the blue stone room was a statue standing opposite them. It was like many of the other statues they had seen, a care-free woman in mid-motion pouring a jug of water, from over her shoulder. Upon the base, there was inscribed

"_He who honours the Goddess of Rainbows shall be guided to the heavens upon wings of fluid grace."_

As Isaac looked around, he became aware that a shimmering rainbow stretched from the head of the statue to the waterfall, so faint that Isaac could hardly see it. Noticing where his gaze was directed, Mia asked him, "Do you see the rainbow?"

"Yes, it's very faint though." He replied.

"I can see it to," Ivan added, "But it seems fairly distinct to me."

"What rainbow?" Garet asked incredulously, "I don't see any rainbow! How do you get a rainbow inside here?"

"It's formed by the same power that you name Psynergy." Mia told them, "Although only wielders of this power can see it. And from you reactions, it also depends on your clan element." She motioned to Isaac, "Venus can only barely discern it, while Jupiter sees it well." She pointed to Ivan and then to Garet, "While Mars, the opposite of Mercury, cannot see it at all. I myself can probably see it more clearly than all of you."

"Well, that makes sense." Isaac replied, "Wind is supposed to be symbiotic with Water, while Earth is indifferent to the power."

"This, I assume, is another way of making sure that only those of the Mercury Clan can reach the top of the Lighthouse."

"Yes," replied Mia, "You are of the three other elements. Are you… from the other Clans?" Isaac shook his head.

"No, we thought all the Clans had died out. We were surprised to find that the Mercury Clan still lived on in you." She sighed.

"I had hoped that maybe with your powers, you might be from them to help. We believed the same extinctions of the others, we didn't know, had no contact with those of the outside world. Well then, where are you-"

"Let's stop wasting time!" Garet exclaimed, "We need to stop Saturos from lighting the beacon. If he does that while we stand around and talk… well let's just get to that aerie before he does so we can defend it!" For once, there was common sense in Garet's impatience.

"He's right, Mia, would you open the way?" Isaac asked. Mia nodded.

"Of course, this will take us straight there." Standing before the statue, she projected her Psynergy into it. It reacted and sent a beam of blue power along the rainbow into the waterfall. Abruptly, to Isaac's surprise, the water stopped falling, and then started travelling up!

"This will take us straight to the aerie. Let's go." Mia said, then she stepped into the raising water current that had been the waterfall, and it sucked her in, carried her up and she vanished.

"We have to do THAT?" Garet exclaimed incredulously.

"Looks like it." Ivan replied, "Let's go." And he stepped in and like Mia, was carried up through the water's original source in the roof and vanished.

"Go on Garet." Isaac told his friend, "Don't be a coward."

"Coward?" Garet spat as though insulted, even though he knew Isaac was joking, "I'll show you who's a coward!" Then he jumped in, and was immediately carried up like the others. Not wasting a second, Isaac jumped in after him, and immediately felt the water wrap itself around him, and carry him up as though he weighed nothing.

"_On wings of fluid grace."_

Holding his breath, he suddenly became aware that he couldn't sense anything.

Isaac opened his eyes groggily, as he became aware of the wind in his face. The wind? He found they were outside, under a misty sky, all around he could see mist. They were atop the Lighthouse!

All four Adepts quickly stood up and gazed around. Not quite the very top, there was another level to their right which stood up a bit higher. Isaac could see an enormous flow of Psynergy form there.

There, at the very top centre of the Lighthouse, was a massive, pulsing orb of powerful blue light, radiating Psynergy.

"It's too late!" Garet exclaimed with shock. "The Lighthouse has already been lit!"


	10. Confrontation atop Mercury

**A/N:** Quick enough update for ya'all? I couldn't leave you all hanging like that for too long. So here it is! First of:

**Spirit Seer:** Thank you! Ah, silly me to miss mistakes like that. There are probably just the odd couple in here still, even after I looked. I'm a hopeless spell checker.

**Corycian Muse:** No, you haven't reviewed before, but I don't mind. I'm glad you like the characterisations, that's always an important part of any author's work. Glad you like it!

**Fan knight:** Thank you! I will!

**GoldenSunGeek:** Hehe, yes, I did have to do it. Hope this was soon enough for ya!

**Spacejoe:** Yes, I do need to check for mistakes, that last chapter I just sort of got lazy and thought "screw it, it's good enough as it is, I'm sure there aren't too many mistakes in it." (yeah, I know, NOT very good author attitude to have). I'm as old as you are now? Cool!

**Kd7sov:** Another person who loves my characterisations! That's good. Always important, those characterisations. Vowed not to request updates? That's okay, I've vowed never to stop updates until it's finished, so you need not worry!

**SpasticDjinn:** I remember you too! Yes, hurry up with Golden Boys! Hmm… So, technically, if you weren't too evil to give full marks, I would have gotten 10 / 10? Bwahaha! I am so great! Ah well, thanks for reviewing!

Okay, is that everyone? Excellent. It seems that I'm doing a fairly good job by everyone. Remember, if there's something you feel I could do better, just tell me! Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Now, a lot of the dialogue is very similar to the game, but only because I replayed this scene, and the words got stuck in my head when rewriting, but hopefully its nothing that anyone will complain about. There was one major change though. Anyone remember WHY Saturos first kidnapped Jenna? So Isaac would give the Mars Star to get her back. BUT, at no point on Mercury (or even Venus) does Satty say "give us the star and we'll give you the girl." Plothole here, you think? Stupid Camelot. So I HAD to put in something here about that, it only makes sense. Anyway, I'll shut up now so you can read.

**CHAPTER NINE**

**CONFRONTATION ATOP MERCURY**

They stood by the stairs leading up to the ramp, staring at the giant, blue pulsing orb of power that was the Mercury Lighthouse beacon.

"It… it can't be!" Mia stammered in shock. "The beacon can't be lit without the Mercury Star…" Isaac turned to her.

"Saturos and Menardi stole the Elemental Stars from Sol Sanctum." he informed her. She seemed to recognize that name. "They're planning to release Alchemy on the world and use it for themselves."

"Sol Sanctum…" she repeated softly. "Are you healers from Sol Sanctum?" Isaac shook his head.

"We come from Mount Aleph, but we're not healers." Garet told her. "We came from a village called Vale to recover the three Elemental Stars." She seemed to recognize that name, too.

"Did you say Vale?" she asked in surprise. Isaac nodded.

"Our village was there to protect Sol Sanctum, but the Stars were stolen." Isaac replied. "We failed to protect them." Mia sighed dejectedly at this.

"That sounds just like my Clan…" she murmured, "I have failed in the one duty placed upon me… this is terrible." She strode up the stairs to the aerie, exposed for all around to see, as she gazed at the orb of pulsing blue power, like an accusation of her failure. Isaac went to comfort her. He knew her hurt at having failed to prevent the catastrophe. The wave of Mercury's power washed over him like a flood, he felt as though his soul was being washed away in water, but he withstood its power, impervious.

Beside the beacon were honorific statues, as though the beacon were some sort of god-like deity. Below the orb, was a large hole, a shaft to the heart of the Lighthouse. The beacon floated just above it, its bottom edge slightly below the floor, so they could see nothing behind it.

Ivan and Garet followed him up, the four Adepts staring at the sheer force of Water Psynergy unleashed before them. A piece of Alchemy was almost upon the world. Saturos, Menardi, Felix and Alex were one step closer to their dreams of unstoppable, ultimate power. Then a familiar voice called out to them, distracting them from their thoughts.

"Isaac! Garet!" It was Jenna! There she was standing on a platform above a shaft, away and below the aerie, opposite where they had come from. Isaac's heart leapt for joy. She was safe! They could still save her! Beside her stood Kraden, looking equally surprised to see them.

Standing guard over the two of them were Felix and Menardi. They were clearly just about to leave. Where Saturos and Alex were, he didn't know. Felix stared at them as though he couldn't believe that they were still alive. Brushing aside his green cloak, he gripped his sword at his side tightly, glaring at them from beneath his shoulder length brown locks.

"Isaac! What are you doing here?" he asked in shock. Isaac stared back at Felix's brown eyes coolly with his blue eyes and said nothing. He couldn't lose his cool now, not with Jenna so close. Somehow, Jenna needed to be rescued from her deceitful, lying, thieving brother.

"Those kids are still alive?" Menardi asked aloud with a look of surprise on her face, her tone of voice hinting that she was impressed. She was wearing the same red dress as in Sol Sanctum, her scythe held in her left hand, waist-length blonde hairs swaying in the wind. "You came all this way to save these two?"

"That's right!" Isaac replied, tensing for action. "She's coming with me! And Kraden to, he's not being used by you anymore!" His voice sounded so much stronger now. He was a great deal stronger since last they met. Jenna smiled when she realised she was being rescued, but was unable to make any move. That smile, it made Isaac's heart melt. He would gladly fight to save her. And then he'd tell her what he should have told her a long time ago, he would tell her how he really felt.

"That's not all." Garet added. "We're taking back the Elemental Stars!" Of course, how could he forget those! He still carried the Mars Star at his side in its Mythril bag, now they had to retrieve the remaining two.

"So, you've come to stop us?" She glared at them with baleful red eyes, "Then we have no choice…" she breathed as she gripped her scythe tightly in both her hands. "We have to take care of them now." she said to Felix, as though apologizing in advance for it. "Before they can do any harm!"

Felix looked to his sister and Menardi for a moment, almost as if hesitating, the looked to Isaac, and drew his sword, standing next to his companion.

"Menardi… wait!" A deep, familiar sounding voice called out from the side, behind the beacon. Saturos strode out from behind the blue sphere into Isaac's view and stood before his party, between them and the stairs that led down to the platform where Menardi and Felix were. He stood there calmly, staring into Isaac's blue eyes, with his dangerous red eyes, hand resting lightly on the sword that hung at his side.

"Oh, Saturos, they want to…" Menardi began.

"I heard everything." he interrupted. "I know." Isaac glared back at him with hatred. This was the man responsible for his father's death, for hurting Jenna and kidnapping her. Kidnapping an innocent Alchemy Sage to use his knowledge for his own ends. To have Alchemy for his own. And now he stood before them, a barrier between him and the Elemental Stars. Between him and Jenna.

"I must say, you were extremely lucky to have survived the eruption of Mount Aleph." he stated, face focused, expressionless. He looked them each in the eye, as though trying to reach through to them. "This isn't your fight. You don't need to do this. If you try and stop us from unleashing Alchemy, you're only damning yourselves and all of Weyard."

"Forget it, Saturos; you can't intimidate us with your threats." Garet challenged aggressively.

"You must have endured so much to get here." Saturos replied, staring at them intently with fiery red eyes, trying another way to dissuade them. "Throwing everything you have into this quest that you know so little about. You don't understand what you mean to do by fighting me. Do you really want to throw your lives away?"

"I'll do what I have to, Saturos." Isaac replied sternly, meeting his intent red gaze levelly. "But there is _nothing_ that you can say or do to make me listen to you, to let you unleash Alchemy. I'll fight you to the death if I have to, and my friends will help me." Saturos sighed, and gripped his sword hilt.

"Fine. If that is your wish, then prepare to have it granted." He unsheathed his sword, and held it before him like a warrior who was perfectly in tune with his weapon, and knew precisely how to handle it. Isaac drew his blade from across his back, and felt Garet and Ivan prepare themselves likewise. Only Mia remained still, she still held her golden staff steadily, crystal orb glowing blue, as though in prelude to the power she planned to unleash.

"Saturos." Menardi called out from the platform. "You're not… are you going to fight them alone?"

"Menardi," Saturos replied, not looking away from the four Adepts, "We can't leave the hostages alone now, can we?"

"Yes… that's true…"

"Besides," he added as an afterthought, "They weren't any match for us before, and can't be one now, no matter what they've been through. We'll see how far their powers have developed." He was fighting them alone? This was great; one against four had to give them an advantage, no matter how powerful he was. With one Adept for each of the four elements, Saturos had to have a disadvantage somewhere!

"Are you sure about this, Saturos?" she asked cautiously, eyeing the four of them, gripping her long handled scythe, body tensed as though it would only take a word for her to join Saturos' side. Felix stood there uncertainly, as though unsure wether to look after the hostages and obey Saturos, or go to help him in battle.

"Yes." Saturos called out over his shoulder. "Now, Isaac… we don't need to fight. How about we make a deal. You give us the Mars Star, and we give you back your girl and this whole mess will be sorted out. You don't need to waste your time on your vain quest. What do you say?"

For a moment, Isaac almost felt like giving in. But only for a moment. Now that it came to it, he wasn't about to surrender so easily. "Never." The Earth Adept replied icily.

"Here's a better deal…" Garet offered. "You give us back Jenna, Kraden and the Elemental Stars, and we won't hurt you… what do you say to _that_?"

Saturos sighed. "Ship of fools…" he muttered, then in a louder voice, "Well, then. I'll just have to deal with you myself."

"Saturos, let me-" Menardi began.

"Leave us!" Saturos commanded sharply in reply. "Head for the next Lighthouse-now!" Menardi nodded in obedience, and turned to leave, bumping into Jenna who was just getting up to leave.

"Isaac's come to save me now." Jenna told the taller, more intimidating looking woman levelly. "I'm not going to be your hostage anymore. I'm leaving." She turned to run to the staircase to reach her friends, but Menardi stopped her.

"Come back here, child…" she growled as she dragged the young woman back with one hand. Jenna threw Menardi's hand off and glared at her, her body beginning to glow with Psynergy. Isaac would have moved to help her, but Saturos stood in his way like an indomitable force. Surely, she wouldn't…?

Menardi overpowered Jenna so easily in Sol Sanctum, with hardly an effort; she needed their help to escape. And they couldn't help her without going through Saturos.

"Do you mean to defy me?" Menardi spat, raising her scythe, long blade pointed at Jenna, causing her to step back and cease her focus of Psynergy. Felix rushed to place a hand on Menardi's shoulder, warning her against doing anything.

"Menardi, please…"

Menardi lowered her scythe, but not her gaze.

"I should teach you a lesson, girl, but…" She didn't finish what she was saying, instead turning to face her Earth Adept companion.

"Felix, I'd get your sister to obey me," she warned icily, "if you hope to keep her from harm." Felix tried to calm his sister with a reassuring hand, but she snatched herself back, glaring at them both with hatred.

"Jenna, please…" he pleaded with her, "Just do as she says for now." Jenna shook her head, looking into Felix's eyes, unable to believe he would willingly side against her.

"Felix…" she groaned, voice tinged with pain. Kraden moved to calm and reassure her.

"It's alright, Jenna." The old scholar said in a kind, wizened old voice. Felix turned to face them with what Isaac thought almost looked like regret in his eyes.

"They shouldn't have come after us…" he said only just loud enough for Isaac to hear.

"I'm sorry, Isaac, Garet…" Jenna moaned, apologetic at not being able to help them.

"I'm counting on you!" Menardi called out to Saturos.

"Isaac! Garet!" Kraden called out. "Don't die!" Then Menardi, with a flick of her Psynergy, hit a switch, and with a jerk and a grind, the platform began to move. It was lowering itself down. The platform headed for the base of the Lighthouse, taking itself and its passengers out beyond Isaac's view. Jenna-!

But it was too late, they were gone. Isaac wanted to chase after her, but she was beyond his reach.

"If you wish to save them, you'll have to beat me, first!" Saturos challenged. But Mia raised her staff, and stared him in the eye.

"No! Get back!" she demanded with a chill in her voice. Garet placed a hand on her shoulder, pulled her back with his powerful, broad arms.

"What's the matter?" Saturos asked, surprised at Garet's reluctance to let her challenge him. He seemed to be just buying time for his companions to get away.

"Saturos is extremely powerful." Garet warned Mia, before she could snap at him. "I could sense it when I faced him." It was true. Isaac could sense Saturos' extreme Psynergy potential within him whenever he laid eyes upon him. It had lost none of it's potency since that day, three years ago, when Isaac first saw him, and felt first hand what he could do with that awesome power. Saturos stood there now, waiting for them to make the first move.

"We have to be very careful when fighting him…" Ivan mused.

"He's right," Isaac added, "His strength overwhelms any one of us. But he is one; there are four of us, of all four elements. Our power adds up. We can match his strength."

"Match me?" Saturos exclaimed in disbelief. "Pah! You think you can match me!"

"Yes." Isaac replied steadily, eyes focused on his enemy, tensed body gripping his sword. "You can't beat all of us, and we'll make sure of it." Saturos shook his head.

"You overestimate you chances." He glared at every one of them. "I'll give you one last chance to back down. Don't destroy yourselves doing this. Weyard does not need you to do this. If only you would listen to me as to why…"

"Forget it." Garet interrupted. "We know better. The Elders of Vale have told us the truth. We're not letting you get away with this."

"I may have failed my Clan in my duty," Mia said icily. "But I will not fail in giving vengeance upon those who have violated the sacred Lighthouse."

"The teachings of Vale come from the Wise One himself." Isaac added. "I won't let the task he set us become a failure."

"Fine then…" Saturos sighed. "I'll just teach you all a lesson!" Then he raised his sword and started towards them, only to stop, lower his sword as thought it's weight were too much, and clutch his side in pain, an expression of surprise and pain on his face.

"What's going?" Mia asked quizzically. "Why is he hesitating?"  
Indeed, Saturos turned as though in pain, to look at the beacon of Mercury Lighthouse behind him.

"What's this!" the warrior asked himself in shocked exclamation. "The light of Mercury… no!" He turned to face them, raising his sword once more. "I must finish this quickly…" he breathed, as though it hurt to say it. "Come on fools!" And then he lunged at them as the battle began.

Garet threw a huge ball of fire at him, enveloping him in flames, but Saturos shrugged of the effect with his Psynergy as though it were nothing. Ivan raised his Shaman's Rod, forming a powerful whirlwind around Saturos, but he stood there impervious, it's effect lacking. Then he made his move.

Saturos raised his hand and huge balls of fire formed of searing flames were scattered by the wind around the aerie, hurling themselves at the four Adepts. Garet fell back, trying to block the flames with his double-edged axe, trying to destroy others with his Fire Psynergy, but still took several serious burns.

Isaac raised his hand and, flowing with Psynergy, a glowing golden sphere formed about him, a mighty earthen barrier, protecting him from Saturos' powerful fiery blasts.

Mia tried to blast the multitudes of fireballs with blast of Water Psynergy, trying to protect herself and Ivan, who was next to her, from the searing flames. But she was quickly overcome, and Ivan had to drop his whirlwind attack, and fall back with her as they were driven back, the two Adepts battling to defend themselves against the fiery onslaught with their respective Psynergies and staffs.

Mia formed a powerful water barrier around them, dissipating the balls of flame. As soon as Saturos ceased his attack, Isaac dissipated his protective barrier and lunged at him with his sword. Saturos seemed to have exhausted himself with his initial attack, but quickly regained his composure, as he parried Isaac's attacks. Isaac summoned all his skills and experience as he tried to pierce Saturos' defence in an all out assault.

But Saturos was too good; he was completely superior to Isaac's sword fighting skills in every way. He drove Isaac to a defensive position slashing and stabbing; it took all of Isaac's ability to stay alive.

Parry, block, and dodge. He couldn't keep this up for long. If only he could gain a moment to focus a Psynergy attack. Saturos took the opportunity instead. During the sword fight he wore a pained expression, as though it hurt to exert this much effort. Suddenly, he launched a powerful fireball right into Isaac's chest, seemingly without a moment to focus his mind, sending Isaac sprawling on his back on the aerie. His chest plate armour had saved his life, but the blow had still winded him, severely bruising his ribs, and the armour burned with an intense heat.

Raising his head, he saw that Ivan had taken the opportunity of them being apart to launch a bolt of lightning, scoring a direct hit, driving the powerful warrior to his knees. Ivan raised his Elven Rapier and charged at Saturos, but he had delayed just slightly too long.

Saturos slammed his larger, heavier blade into Ivan's smaller, lighter one as it came down, sending it flying away. Saturos threw the young boy aside with his Psynergy, and rising to his feet, prepared for a powerful attack. Raising his free hand, flames crackled along his body and gathered in his open palm forming a powerful fireball.

But he was interrupted as Garet's fireball slammed into his back, although it seemed to have little effect. Garet then rushed at him with his axe upraised, ready for a crushing blow. But his previous assault had gained Saturos' attention. Moving strangely sluggish, in contrast to his previous effort, Saturos turned and deflected Garet's blow with a powerful sword parry.

As Garet stumbled past him, Saturos unleashed his powerful fireball right into his back, encasing him in flames. Isaac got up and looked in horror, but Garet was okay, his Fire Psynergy had saved him. Just at the last minute, Isaac thought he had glimpsed a fiery red shield protect him, but how could he have summoned it in time?

Isaac moved, sword in hand, to face Saturos again, but Mia was ahead of him. She unleashed a wave of sharp icicles into him, some shattering upon his armour, others piercing his skin, causing streaks of blood to streak down his blue scaly skin. What sort of species _was _Saturos?

Glaring at her, Saturos raised his blade above his head, preparing to strike. As it came down, Mia raised her staff, flowing with Psynergy, and Saturos' blade struck the blue glowing orb embedded in the head of the staff. There was a brilliant white flash for a fraction of a second, and when it faded, Isaac saw that Saturos' heavy blade had recoiled form the blow, and it was now covered in a thick layer of ice, holding it to his hand, and making it unwieldy.

Before he could react, Mia placed the head of her staff on the ground and suddenly Saturos found that his feet had been iced to the blue stone floor. Looking down in shock at his feet, Mia suddenly blinded him with a sleet of frost to the eyes. He growled with pain and shock and Mia smiled at the victory. She must have used a great deal of power in the assault.

But she was too slow. Seizing hold of her wrist in a powerful grip, Saturos sent a wave of fire down Mia's arm, causing her to scream in pain. Saturos ceased his Psynergy and threw her aside.

"No! Mia!" Isaac screamed. He raced to see if she was okay. But already she was healing herself with her Psynergy. He couldn't help her, mixing in his lacking healing abilities with hers. She was a healer. She knew what to do.

Looking over, Isaac saw that Saturos was glowing with Psynergy as he enveloped himself in flames, melting the ice. Garet got up from next to him, but Saturos was quick to parry the axe blow. The then focused the fire about his body into his hand, and sprayed it at Garet, sending the Mars Adept across the floor. Surely Garet couldn't have survived an attack of that calibre?

"You monster!" Isaac called out to Saturos. As the powerful warrior turned to face him, Isaac raised his hand and released a powerful, brilliant white bolt of Venus Psynergy. The Ragnarok lanced through the air like a pointed sword, striking Saturos with such power and speed that he had no time to react. It exploded in a blinding blast, sending hundred of sparks of glowing power around it, and threw Saturos across the aerie, severely hurting him.

Isaac rushed to where Garet was to check on him. He lay on his back, breathing heavily. He wasn't badly burned. Of course, his Fire Psynergy had protected him. You couldn't fight fire with fire.

"Are you alright?" Isaac asked. Garet attempted a smile.

"I'm fine." he replied with an effort. "But Isaac… my Psynergy. It's not strong enough. Something's dampening it. I can't wield it properly. I could barely defend myself with it." What the heck was doing that? But Isaac chose not to think about it then.

"Don't worry, Garet." he reassured the Fire Adept. "You'll be fine. I'll take care of Saturos." Looking over, he saw that Saturos was engaging Ivan. For some reason, he was using no Psynergy, instead swinging his powerful blade at the short Jupiter Adept. Ivan held him off with gusts of powerful wind, and swirling whirlwinds. But he was weakening. He couldn't hold of the powerful warrior forever. Isaac noticed Mia come over, and kneel beside Garet. Her arm was perfectly healed.

"I'll take care of Garet." She told him, "Just go and fight." Isaac nodded without a word, and got up, raising his sword to fighting position. She had used a great deal of Psynergy fighting and healing herself. Healing Garet would further deeply drain her. She might end up exhausting her Psynergy ability if she chose to fight afterwards.

But maybe, by healing them, she could help win the battle. He saw Ivan was nearly going down. Isaac threw himself into the fight against Saturos.

The watcher stared as he saw the young Wind Adept go down under Saturos' fiery Psynergy. He felt the power of Mercury Lighthouse beacon flow through him, but he payed it no mind. He could see clearly through the powerful blue orb, even if they couldn't.

So Saturos could still wield his Psynergy. That was good. He wasn't beaten then. He would not have to step out and aid him. Which was well, for Mia was out there. He did not wish to see her. She would not be glad to see him, if she were to put the pieces together. And she would, she was a smart young girl. Which was why he wished for her to come to no harm. But she was anyway.

The Fire Adept she was healing got up, fully healed. That would have severely exhausted her strength, but he knew he needn't aid her. The same reason his power needed no aid now. He could not bear to reveal himself to her. She would not understand. He feared she never would.

He watched as she began her healing process again on the young Wind Adept that Saturos had nearly felled. He was heavily engaged with the Venus Adept now. Even as the burly Mars Adept raced to aid him, he saw Saturos begin to overpower the blonde-haired Earth Elemental.

He had recovered some of his strength now, he would win. The kid suffered a severe blow to the shoulder, a fireball to the chest, he fell to his back.

But if Saturos won, surely that meant Mia… but then, of course, with her friends, she could just do it. Then he would have no choice. It was inevitable. He would have to reveal himself soon.

He watched calmly as the red-head fought Saturos with fire. It was no use, of course. He would have to decide that duel with his axe. And Saturos would win against that. Slowly, the muscled warrior was worn down.

But already, Hammet's servant joined the fray. But his Psynergy must be near exhausted. And he couldn't defeat him physically, no way. Not with that puny sword he held.

Mia was now healing the blonde kid from Vale. The one Jenna referred to as Isaac. But it was easier to think of them without the names. More impersonal.

But Mia… he watched her work her magic on him. That boy… truly a great warrior. Not strong enough to defeat Saturos, yet he showed great potential. They all did, even Mia, but the Venus Adept… truly the greater warrior. He did not wish to meet him in battle someday. But if he still held the Mars Star…but maybe he didn't, how else had he and his friend escaped from Sol Sanctum, the erupting Mount Aleph and even the Wise One's wrath, unless maybe they placed it back? But… they showed remarkable ingenuity following them to here, so maybe? There was no way to know for sure, unless…

The blonde servant kid was thrown aside, his weapons scattering beside him. The sword and rod. But the rod caught his eye. Could it be… it was! How had the kid come to get it from those thieves? Surely his powers weren't such before?

But there was no doubt about it. It was the Shaman's Rod. But it had another name. It was also know as the Rod of Hesperia. If Saturos defeated them all, he could take it. They needed it. And the Mars Star to, if the kid still held it.

With two down, Mia and the Earth Adept rose to face Saturos. He couldn't let Mia be… but then, she would not. He knew why. But if Saturos were defeated, and he could be, he did not think he could finish them off to obtain Rod and Star. Did they even know the Rod's purpose? Best not to mention it. The kid servant would not let go of it, he could be sure of that. But the Star. Did they have it? Only one simple way to find out. And he knew how to gauge the truth of the answer. And how to escape with Saturos in tow if necessary.

Saturos raised his blade to fight. He was not fully suppressed. Flames grew in his hand. If he did win, he would have to step in to prevent anything happening to Mia. But whichever way; Saturos had to escape, so they could all light the Lighthouses. Far too much depended on Saturos' success in lighting the Lighthouses.

Isaac stood alongside Mia. She must have exhausted her Psynergy ability now.

"Quick, get out of they way!" he told her. "You just healed all four of us; you won't be able to fight. You won't have any Psynergy left!" How she could summon enough power to have healed not only all of them, but so fully was beyond Isaac.

"It's okay, I'm fine." she replied. "I can still help!"

"Don't try and be brave!" he responded. "Just try and help Ivan and Garet get out of harms way; I'll try and finish of this murderer." Without waiting for her reply, Isaac went after Saturos.

Saturos looked weary now, showing heavily his signs of battle, but still standing strong. His armour was heavily dented in many places; there were cuts, bruises and smears of blood over him. His silvery blue hair was in disarray. But he still looked at Isaac with focused, determined, red eyes.

Isaac hurled another blast of that powerful, white Ragnarok power at his enemy. It exploded in a powerful flash, sending white glowing sparks to float through the air like particles before fading, scattering in every direction.

Isaac ran through the white haze, sword raised, quickly. So far Saturos had only used a small part of his total power that he was capable of wielding. He had sensed so much power from within him before, but now he could only sense him hold a small amount. Saturos should have been capable of unleashing so much more, yet he had only hit them with a small amount of that potential. Isaac and the others were getting weak; they had almost used up their total Psynergy supply. If they just tried to annihilate each other with Psynergy alone, then he knew Saturos would inevitably overwhelm them. He had to get in close, and strike him down with his sword.

As Isaac came through, he saw Saturos get up, holding his powerful weapon ready to defend. Isaac immediately swung at him, as the two started dancing with their blades; Isaac went into an all out offensive, forcing Saturos into defensive forms.

Saturos was the better swordsmen, but he was weakened, injured in battle, slower. Isaac, after being healed by Mia, was as fast as he had been at the start of the fight. If Saturos was to hard pressed physically in battle, he couldn't work up any Psynergy. This gave Isaac a slight advantage. Of course, it worked the other way; Isaac couldn't use his Psynergy to aid himself, although he didn't have much left anyway.

From out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Mia healing Garet with Psynergy. Impossible! She must have none left! Isaac ducked a swing at his head, trying to stab back, only grazing Saturos' side.

Garet staggered up, while Mia began helping Ivan recover. Isaac parried another blow, tried to strike, but hit only empty air, and dodged another blow, getting a deep cut in his arm in the process.

Ignoring the pain, Isaac raised his blade above him to strike, but as Saturos parried, he kicked him, causing Isaac to fall and land on his backside, sword clattering down beside him.

Saturos stood above him, but did not strike. He was looking side to side. On either side were Garet and Ivan, ready to fight. How could Mia have summoned the power to heal them? But neither Garet nor Ivan was capable of wielding very much more Psynergy. Isaac _knew_ that they were near the bottom of the limits to their abilities. Mia stood behind him seemingly recovering form her exertion.

"Let's go, Ivan!" Garet called out, and together, the two came at Saturos from either side. With a visible exertion, Saturos raised a wall of fire between him and Ivan then turned and threw Garet's axe blow aside to the ground. Then he raised his sword, bringing a large gash to Garet's large arm. If only he had to strength to summon an assault, but his power was weakened.

While Saturos was doing this, Isaac hurriedly healed himself with the power of his Venus Psynergy, casting Cure. Saturos threw Garet aside with a fireball, but it failed to reach through to his skin. Then he turned to face Ivan.

While he had his back turned, Ivan had dissipated the firewall with his Wind Psynergy, and then came at Saturos with his Elven Rapier. Saturos knocked the blow aside with his heavier weapon. Only his Shaman's Rod protected him from Saturos' fireball. But Ivan had brought Isaac enough time to get up and attack.

As Ivan was flung back, Isaac lunged and jumped at Saturos, sword raised above his head. Saturos raised his own blade to block it. But it was a feint. As his right hand brought the sword down, his left hand came up and, not giving Saturos a moment to react, Isaac unleashed a full strength Ragnarok right into his chest.

As Saturos flew back through the air, and Isaac knew he had delivered a powerful blow, he saw Mia get up to raise her golden staff, behind Saturos. Isaac had put all his force into that attack. Suddenly, with shocking speed, an icicle formed at the end of Mia's staff on the orb, and launched itself with high velocity at Saturos. I slammed into his back, shattering and breaking his flight, causing him to fall back down to the ground. Only that thick armour had saved him from being skewered.

He landed heavily with a grunt, but staggered up again, still ready to fight. Mia strode up to him, staff ready for battle. No way could she be ready to do this, her Psynergy _had_ to be exhausted by now!

But still, her body shone with a Psynergetic glow, her staff's crystal orb glowed, and she prepared for battle. Saturos tried to encase her in a flare, but she just raised her hand and dissipated the flames with water that was just formed form out of thin air with her Psynergy. Then she unleashed a hail of small, thin, sharp icicles from her hand, pounding into Saturos, piercing his skin and denting his armour. Saturos seared away the ice with a blast of fire, then quick as lightning, raised his sword and brought it down. But Mia was quicker. She raised her staff, and the sword again collided with the orb, only bare inches form her face. Quickly, Mia bore her Psynergy into the sword, covering it in ice and freezing it to his hand. Saturos immediately stepped back and continued to try and keep some distance between the two, as he began channelling Psynergy into the ice.

As he did so, Mia unleashed a blue beam form her staffs orb, and Saturos found his feet frozen to the ground. Confident she had him in a weakened position; Saturos hurled a fireball at her, flinging her back.

But her seemingly unending Psynergy again saved her, she was not injured! Isaac got up to fight Saturos, but the powerful warrior was already aware of him. Raising his hand, a ring of fire formed itself from out of the stonework around him. If he tried to pass through that, he could be incinerated.

Confident Isaac was no longer a threat, Saturos turned back to melting the ice at his feet, which quickly gave way, allowing the warrior to walk again. He then began working on his arm. Looking around, Isaac thought the fire around him seemed weaker than before just slightly, as though it had been watered down.

Quickly deciding he couldn't allow Saturos to continue, Isaac unleashed another Ragnarok right into his back, sending the man sprawling. Isaac looked around and noticed the ring of fire was indeed a bit weaker. But only a bit. Saturos stood up to find Mia coming towards him again. She stabbed her glowing crystal orb at him, but he grabbed it in his free hand, holding her back physically, channelling huge amounts of Fire Psynergy through his hand, cancelling out the effects of her freezing. The result caused a thick steam of steam to emanate from their point of contact. The two were evenly matched. But surely Saturos could have summoned more power than that? And surely Mia should be completely drained by now? She would have to have been at full strength to be doing what she was doing now for any considerable length of time. Then he noticed Garet and Ivan get up from either side of him. They weren't quite down yet.

Filling himself with his dwindling supply of Psynergy, Isaac surrounded himself with a golden, glowing, transparent dome, and stepped through the flames unaffected. Dispersing the Venus barrier so as to not waste the rest of his power, Isaac prepared to fight.

They had him surrounded. But Garet was in no condition to fight, especially with his power suppressed. Nonetheless, Garet raised his axe and shouted, "I'm not done yet, you fool!"

Saturos glared at the nearly defeated Mars Adept, as if considering how to finally finish him off. This provided an ample distraction, as while Saturos had his back turned; Ivan summoned the last of his Psynergy, unleashing a powerful bolt of liquid blue lightning right into his back.

Crippled, Saturos sank to his knees, but didn't give in to Mia's power, keeping it at bay steadily. Then Isaac noticed something that made his blood run cold. Saturos' sword. The ice around the blade had thawed. That's what Saturos had been doing with the rest of his power, freeing his sword!

But Mia hadn't noticed, couldn't have noticed. Psynergy summoning required focusing of the mind, with all her Psynergy, and thus mind, focused on counter-attacking Saturos' power, she was virtually unaware of anything else.

Saturos raised his blade back, slowly got to his feet, and prepare to pierce her heart. Not knowing what else to do, Isaac leapt at him, channelling the last of his Psynergy into his sword blade, making it glow white, and stabbed at Saturos.

The armour should have deflected it, but the Psynergy charged blade passed through it like a hot knife through butter. The thrust pushed him back, away from Mia, and pierced his belly. Isaac pulled his blade out, and let it return to normal, its end was covered in blood.

Saturos coughed up blood, hand clasped to his mortal would, and his other uselessly frozen to the sword hilt. He stared at Isaac in amazed disbelief and wonder, and then sank to his knees. He coughed up some more blood, and then collapsed uselessly before them on the ground, defeated, and barely breathing. They had beaten him!

"Isaac, we got him!" Garet cheered. Isaac let out a sigh of relief. Saturos was defeated. They were the better warriors. The others gathered around Isaac, leaving Saturos' beaten body lying on the blue stone floor of the Lighthouse aerie, between them and the unbelievable power of the pulsing blue orb of Mercury Beacon. That power seemed to wash over and through them like a torrent of water. Isaac gazed at the enormous ball of Water Psynergy.

"I can't believe that Mercury Lighthouse held such great power…" the choked voice of Saturos reached Isaac's ears. He was staring at it, from his vantage point on the ground, head turned to one side. And all four of them had ensured that he would never wield that power for himself. "…if only my Psynergy had been at its full power..." he continued to murmur.

"What are you taking about?" Isaac asked. Saturos didn't respond.

"Saturos," Ivan began, "You said you were weakened, what did you mean?"

Silence. Then, "I… I meant nothing." he stammered, trying to cover himself.

"I shall tell you what he means…" A familiar sounding voice told them.

"That voice!" Mia exclaimed. "Is that you…?" Isaac looked over to the beacon, and from behind it stepped a familiar looking man, with shoulder length blue-coloured hair and blue clothing. He stepped over Saturos' body, and stood before them calmly, staring at them with his calm, blue eyes.

"Alex!" Mia exclaimed, shock in her eyes, unable to believe it was him. Could he be?

"It's been a while, Mia." Alex stated simply, nodding his head. This was Mia's partner, and fellow Clan member. They both had blue hair, and eyes. Mia could barely conceal her hurt at his betrayal. She strode forward slowly, to speak with him.

"Alex, do you realise what you've done?" she asked softly, slowly, voice cold as ice. Alex merely gave a slight half-smile.

"Of course…" he replied calmly, deftly. "I have freed a great power of this world that has long been sealed away." He turned to gaze at the awesome power radiating from the liquid blue orb floating behind him. "Mercury, the power of Water…" he murmured with awe and wonder in his voice. "What a mighty force." Mia brought him back.

"Alex, you…" She began, her voice quivering with rage or hurt, or both, Isaac couldn't tell. "Are you mad!" Alex turned to face her again; a slight hint of amusement on his lips then shook his head lightly.

"No, Mia…" he replied smoothly. "Don't you understand?" He gestured with his hands to the Lighthouse around them. "The Lighthouse granted you great power during your battle with Saturos." Could he be telling the truth? Mia sighed and gave a slight nod of acceptance.

"It's true," she began, her voice smoothed over now. "I could use my power without ever depleting it." Alex gave a slight smile of victory.

"Don't you see?" he asked her. "The Mercury Lighthouse supplied you with limitless Psynergy."

"You and I are both members of Mercury Clan…" he replied smoothly. "Masters of Water Psynergy. This power is our right… and it will give us so much." Mia said nothing at this, eyes glazed over in a mixture of rage, shock and hurt. There was a brief silence.

"Tell me, Alex," Ivan began, "Why wasn't Saturos able to use his full power?"

"Ah, yes…" Alex exclaimed, reminded of his original purpose, speaking nonchalantly as though discussing the weather. "I shall explain it all. Saturos is aligned with Mars, the Clan of Fire." Isaac had already figured that out, Saturos had fought with flames. "Fire and Water are opposing elements." Alex placed a fist in his open palm to emphasis his point. "His full power was bound by the Water Psynergy of the Lighthouse."

Well, that made sense, Isaac figured. Even he could feel Mercury's enormous power.

"Didn't Saturos know that?" Mia asked suddenly, with a look to the defeated warrior lying behind Alex. Alex nodded.

"Of course he knew." he stated simply. "However, he failed to appreciate the full extent of the enormous power of this Lighthouse." He turned to stare once more at the enormous ball of energy behind him. "As did I…"

Garet folded his broad arms across his chest. "Is that why we were able to defeat Saturos?" he asked the calm Alex. Alex turned to face them again, and then shook his head.

"No, there is more to it." he casually informed them. "I stood by watching you battle from afar…"

"You were watching us?" Ivan exclaimed, interrupting.

"Yet you didn't even try to help your friend." Isaac added, disgust in his voice. "Just let him go down while you watched." Alex nodded.

"Yes. I did not help Saturos, because I was certain he would win." He shook his head. "But I was wrong… you have become such great fighters in a short time."

Then, suddenly, Saturos began to stir, and got back up on one knee, his other hand supporting him.

"Impossible!" Isaac breathed in shock.

"Saturos can't be up again!" Ivan exclaimed in mutual surprise, "We beat him!"

"Me? Beaten? Never!" Saturos replied as Alex helped him up, throwing Saturos' arms over his shoulder, to help him stand, "I lost to this Lighthouse, not to you!" Alex gave a smile of victory.

"I was merely stalling you until Saturos had recovered his strength." he told them simply.

"You were just buying time?" Mia shrieked with anger. "That's not fair, Alex!" Garet raised his large axe, gripping the handle tightly.

"I'm not letting Saturos escape!"

"And neither will I!" Isaac added coldly. Saturos had killed his father! The two moved towards Alex, but the Water Adept fixed them with a cold glare from his blue eyes that made them stop.

"And just what are you going to do?" he asked them mockingly. "Will you finish him off?" Isaac tightened his grip on his sword grimly.

"Yes, if we have to. But I won't let Saturos get away with the crimes he has committed. I won't let him seize the ultimate power of Alchemy." Alex stared at him calmly.

"If that is the case, you will have to fight me, as well." He looked at each of them coldly in turn, although he seemed to avoid Mia's gaze. "I've seen how you fight. You cannot hope to win." And then as an afterthought, he added, "And I doubt you are the type to 'finish' anyone off!" Isaac sighed. The man had a point. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to willingly end another's life in cold blood, no matter how evil they were. Was there any real sense of justice in murdering a murderer?

"Of course, you are welcome to believe whatever you want." Saturos spoke from Alex's side where he hung, coughing a bit more from his injury. Then Alex summoned his Psynergy and a white glow enveloped him and Saturos, and they vanished from view. Isaac turned his head just in time to see the duo rematerialize upon the lower platform, at the foot of the stairs to the aerie, near where the elevator platform Menardi and Felix had escaped on was.

"Damn, he did that warp thing again…" Garet muttered.

"No, it's impossible." Mia said, her voice filled with disbelief. "No one can teleport. Even Alex didn't have this kind of power before." She looked directly at Alex challengingly. "What's happened to you? You didn't used to be like this, the last time we met, I used to think that I knew you. But, you've changed, Alex…"

"Ah, well… I can't stay the same Alex you knew forever…" he replied enigmatically. Then, with the sound of grating stone, the elevator platform rose back to where it had been before, minus the previous occupants.

"Well, it seems that my ride has returned while we were speaking." he informed nonchalantly. "And so, I bid you adieu." He warped again, enveloped in white light, then dematerialised and rematerialized atop the elevator platform.

"Isaac, Saturos still has the Elemental Stars!" Ivan suddenly exclaimed.

"That's right! We can't let them leave now!" Garet added.

"Oh? And you want to take the Elemental Stars from Saturos?" Alex asked, raising a blue eyebrow, his voice suddenly sounding stronger, more challenging.

"Yes, that's right!" Isaac replied, "You're not leaving until we get them back. The Wise One himself has commanded it!"

"Ha! Too bad!" Saturos laughed. "Menardi has them. You'll have to ask her!" Then he coughed up some more of his blood at the effort of laughing.

"That reminds me…" Alex began. "Do you still have the Mars Star?" Did he really expect an honest answer?

"No," Isaac lied. "We lost it in the eruption of Mount Aleph."

"Are you telling the truth?" he asked, raising a doubtful blue eyebrow. "Well, I shall believe you for now. I suppose you'll be willing to pursue us for the Elemental Stars?" Was there anything they could do to stop them? No, they were in no condition to stop Alex.

"Yes, we will follow you. This isn't over yet." Isaac replied coldly. Alex merely smiled an innocuous half-smile.

"I look forward to it." he stated simply. "I shall see you soon, then. Good-bye."

"Don't look forward to our next battle." Saturos warned them. Then, with a flick of Psynergy, Alex brought the platform into motion, and they sunk down out of sight.

"They're gone…" Ivan sighed dejectedly.

"Shoot… we couldn't even save Jenna." Isaac moaned. He had failed her. That hurt more than his failure to retrieve the Elemental Stars. Mia seemed on the verge of tears.

"I don't deserve to be a part of the mercury Clan…" she moaned sorrowfully. "We couldn't stop them from lighting the beacon. I've failed my Clan, failed in my duty…" Isaac sighed and his heart wrenched, as he watched a tear slide down her cheek. But Ivan refused to let his spirit down.

"That's not true!" he exclaimed with heartfelt enthusiasm. "We can still beat them, right, Isaac?"

"Of course! We're still strong yet! Saturos does not yet hold Alchemy!" Garet agreed.

"That's right!" Ivan replied at his support, and then turned to Mia to comfort her, "All we need to do is stop them from lighting all the Lighthouses! The beacon of Mercury has been lit, but we'll stop them next time."

"Yes, we can still redeem you Clan's failure." Isaac added. "We can still have our revenge. We'll rescue our two friends."

"That's right." Garet added, "We can save Jenna at the next Lighthouse."

"Yes. We won't let Alex get away with this…"Mia spoke determinedly, as she got up, wiped away her tears and got a cold, focused look in her blue eyes. "Let's go after them, right now!" she exclaimed, and then moved to go down the stairs, stopping only when she realized the three males weren't following her. Turning, she asked, "What's the matter? We should hurry!"

"_We_?" Garet asked, "Mia, are you coming with us?"

"You want to aid us in our quest to save Weyard?" Isaac asked hopefully.

"But the people of Imil need you, Mia!" Ivan reminded her.

"It's okay." she reassured the young Wind Adept. "'_The fountain shall be filled as long as light fills the Lighthouse_.' That's an old saying. The fountain at the foot of the lighthouse will be run over with healing waters now." She looked out over the edge of the Lighthouse, into the mist. "I have mixed feelings about leaving, but Imil will be fine as long as the fountain continues to flow with the Water of Hermes. We should hurry if we're going to follow them."

"Come on, let's go, then." Isaac told them. "We can rest back at Imil." Descending down the stairs, they took the elevator platform back down, headed for Imil.

Four heroes to save Weyard.

* * *

(insert heroic music here) And the four of them are off! What mystical, wild adventures await our new heroes? Oh, wait, we already know… that's what sucks about novelisations… readers already know the meat of the story. That's why I look forward to writing an original story in the future. Especially my Zelda fic. But that's a long way off (and it isn't even ready to be written in my head yet.) so I'll just shut up and let you review.

(begin shameless plug) If you haven't already, go read "Final Showdown", and leave a review. (end shameless plug)

Now, on to something completely irrelevant. If your not a Star Wars fan, then skip this, and review. REJOICE! REVENGE OF THE SITH IS AWESOME! It easily dethrones "Empire Strikes back" as best star wars film ever. Even those who didn't like the first two prequels will be hard pressed NOT to like this one. I won't spoil anything, but let us suffice to say the movie rocks, and Darths transformation is realised very well… if a little disturbing as well, even for me. I saw it twice in one day! Do not miss it, if you know what's good for you. Anyway, I'll shut up about it now, because this isn't the Star Wars section, and Authors Notes are not meant for movie reviews.


	11. Reasons

**A/N: **Hey all! Sorry this one took so long to update… I must confess I don't have any good excuses. I was distracted…. Watching lots of anime on my DVD player. (sobs) I'm an Anime Addict! I swear, it wasn't writers block or anything, just... I love anime, got a bit of extra cash, went out and blew it all on various titles... and there went my writing time and feeble excuse for a social life. I once was rich,(looks in wallet) but now that wealth is gone... Oh well, 'tis a good way to squander my youth, I guess. Anyway, you all want review replies, yes?

**Umi Kanshisha: **Awesome, eh? Cool! Yeah, had to keep making Isaac questioning about it all. I remember when I first played that fight in the game, I kept on wondering why after every turn it said, "Mia gained 12pp" or some such. That's sort of where I got the idea from. Yeah, we might see some of Jenna's feelings for Isaac here... though not much, don't want to make this and angsty pining contest. Don't worry, not writer's block (at least not yet!) just anime addiction!

**Unicornmaddy: **Thank you! Someone loves my work! (feels happy)

**Shining Light: **Yes, that was a pretty good battle scene. TLA novel? I'd certainly like too! At the moment, I may do so, but it is a fair way into the future, so I won't guarantee anything just yet. But yes, it is something that I will definitely consider. I know what you mean about no novels out there of it… I'd really like to read one! Provided it was well written, of course.

**G.Reaper: **Okay, I'm assuming you'll eventually read up to this point after reviewing chapter five. Thanks for all that, I'm glad you like it!

**Spirit Seer: **Yay, another who loved the fighting! Yeah, I know what you mean about the typos. I did go through this one a lot, but it probably still has all sorts of mistakes that I didn't even notice. Oh well. Glad you like it!

**Favri the Fisher: **Sorry about the paragraph breaker thing. I did originally put asterisk in between, but it turns out that ff.n doesn't allow them and they got deleted when I posted, screwing up the paragraph breaker thing. (sigh) Will go back and fix it though.

**Dutch Duelist: **Actually, that fight wasn't a pain at all, it was quite fun to write. I'll try and keep good work up.

**Spastic Djinn: **You felt loved? I know what you mean, when I first go a review reply from someone… I just felt… great! You really love my work, don't ya? Hopefully I can keep up the great work!

**Kd7sov: **Wow, I made you "wow"! Cool! Glad you liked Alex's POV, and yeah, those stupid ff.n people removed my original paragraph breaker asterisk, that's why it did't have any. But I've fixed it now. Foreshadowing for sequel? (in mysterious voice) maybe…. As for that teleport comment, I figure that Mia only knows about Mercury Psynergy at this point in time, and as such she is yet to learn about Retreat, because growing up in Imil, she didn't get to learn anything about the other elements. That's just my opinion anyway. I suppose that others may disagree, after all, we don't really know much about Mia's past life, do we?

**Spacejoe:** Epic? Wow, I never expected that that one battle scene would be so loved! Ooh, a present! Mmm… chocolate! (drools) Even though at the time of updating, my birthday was 2 months ago (wow, has it really been that long?) thanks anyway!

**GoldenSunGeek: **Don't worry, I won't post any spoilers! (though you may have seen it by now anyway!) Wow, another person who considers my battle to be so epic! And you compared it to LOTR! I think I'm going to cry with happiness… And yes, update X-Men! And son of Lemuria!

**Disclaimer: **For those of you still curious, nope, don't own Golden Sun. It belongs to the lads over in Camelot. No, not King Arthur's men, I mean… never mind. However, MoR did invent the words "**tree-ified**" and **"tree-ification**", but you can all use them if you want.

**CHAPTER TEN**

**REASONS**

They said nothing as they descended, brooding upon their own thoughts, thinking about the battle, Alex, Mia's decision to join them.

Four Adepts. One for each of the four elements. It seemed a strange coincidence that things should work out that way. Or was it? Maybe some things were meant to be? No, probably just coincidence.

As the platform slowed to a halt at the foot of the Lighthouse, Isaac looked out to the fountain, just outside the entrance of the Lighthouse. It was indeed now full of water. Although he couldn't sense it like Mia probably could, he guessed that these were the healing Waters of Hermes.

A few people from Imil were gathered around the fountain, some looking up at the bright blue beacon, others drinking of the water. Stepping off the platform, they made for the fountain slowly.

"Come, drink the Water of Hermes." Mia told them. "It brings rejuvenation to all that lives. It will heal our wounds." They all agreed, and made way for the fountain, while Mia immediately began chatting with the nearby people.

Isaac took a deep sip from the fountain, and immediately felt the pure healing power of Mercury wash through him. It tasted just like regular water, a little cold due to the northern climates, but its healing effects could be felt instantly. He could feel as his battle weariness seep away as refreshment rose up in him, and his aches and pains were lessened, the sword cut in his arm fading, his bruised chest easing. He felt so… rejuvenated. Only his Psynergy remained unimproved. Isaac looked to Garet and Ivan, and from the looks on their faces, they were feeling the intense rejuvenation and healing process. One deep sip did so much to him; another sip would surely bring him back to himself.

Mia came after them and also took a deep sip. Kneeling before the fountain with her eyes closed as she felt the Water of Hermes work its power through her body, she almost looked like she was meditating.

For a few moments she knelt there calmly, and then she opened her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "I have never fought in such an intense battle like that before. Though Mercury gave me great Psynergetic might, physically my body is still as greatly strained as your own, if not more from my greater Psynergy exertions."

True, wielding Psynergy did take some physical strength in itself; another reason one could not use it all the time forever.

"I suppose it's no use chasing after Saturos and his friend Alex right now." Isaac sighed. "There probably a long way away by now." Especially with Alex's warp ability. It might only be short range, it had to be or else they would have simply just warped to each of the Lighthouses in turn, but it would get them away from here quickly enough.

"Yes, they probably are." Mia sighed despondently, mind clearly still on Alex's betrayal. "Besides, we need to rest and recuperate for tomorrow's journey. Our wounds may be healed, but our physical strength is worn." It was true, although Isaac's rejuvenation helped him feel great; he still had a lack of energy. He could have run forever and felt great, but suddenly collapsed from exhaustion, not having felt a thing.

"I already spoke with some of the locals, they say they saw a wounded warrior and someone they think looked like Alex leave this place recently, heading out into the snow lands, away from Imil. They could be anywhere by now, we cannot hope to search for them. Anyway, we need to rest and heal. All the Psynergetic might of Mercury may be able to heal your wounds, but nothing can replace a nice, warm dinner and a good nights rest."

"Now that's the sort of medicine I can take!" Garet joked.

They walked back to Imil quickly, saying little and trying to keep themselves warm as it was now late afternoon and temperatures were dropping. Before leaving, Mia had to properly explain what it was that was happening to the Imilians. But after that they started heading back.

As she started to walk through the snowy streets weaving between the snow-covered wooden houses, Mia told them she needed to visit Imil Sanctum to visit her two apprentices, to let them know that she was leaving and what was going on.

"Justin and Meagan need to know what has happened. And besides, they will probably be worried by the lighting of Mercury Beacon." Isaac guessed that Justin and Meagan were the two children that they had met earlier.

"Okay then, let's go." he shrugged. "I think we could all use a rest after that battle. And some healing."  
"Of course, we'll be able to help you." Mia relied with a smile. Leading them through the snowy town, over the wooden bridge that spanned the frozen river, Mia took them to the Sanctum. Opening the stone doors, Isaac found himself in a familiar, homely room, the cold wind on his back a stark contrast to the warm atmosphere inside.

"Mia!" a young girl's voice shouted. That must have been Meagan.

"We were worried that you wouldn't come back!" a boy's voice now added. And that must be Justin. Mia came in to face the two children. Behind them, the large fireplace held a warm fire, heating the room.

"I'm so sorry, you two…" Mia replied in a sorrowful voice, shaking her head. Isaac, Garet and Ivan came in after her, and Isaac shut the door to keep the warm air in.

"Mia, we have a problem!" Justin began, "Have you seen the Mercury Lighthouse! It's been lit!" Mia nodded with a sigh, not saying anything.

"Mia, you already knew?" Meagan guessed, when her elder said nothing. Mia nodded wordlessly, still hesitating to tell them she was leaving. "I guess you can't exactly miss it. Do you know what happened?"

"I…" Mia started, then stopped.

"What's the matter? Justin asked, "You look sad, Mia."

"I… how should I tell you?" Mia began hesitantly.

"Do you have something to say?" Megan asked. "What is it?"

"Well, I… uh…" Mia hesitated, reluctant to tell them. "I… I'll be joining Isaac on his quest." She then said in a rush. "It's very hard for me to leave you, but it's the Lighthouse."

"You said the world would be in danger if the Lighthouse was lit, right?" Justin asked.

"Is that why you're leaving?" Megan asked. "To protect the world?"

"Yes. That's right." Mia told them, her tone of voice indicating that she was reluctant to leave.

"Then there's nothing we can do…" Justin replied.

"We won't try to stop you, then." Megan told Mia. "After all, you are trying to protect the Mercury Clan." Mia breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't going to be so hard after all.

"Yes, I am…" She replied, trailing off.

"As members of the Mercury Clan, we will protect Imil ourselves." Justin reassured her with a proud grin. "So don't worry, okay?"

"I will try hard and learn to heal as well as you, Mia!" Megan promised.

"Okay, I'll leave the village in your hands, Megan, Justin." Mia told them, and then turned to Isaac, "We can leave without any worries, now."

"Well, it that's all sorted then, I suppose we can get ready to leave." Isaac replied.

"Not before we take a look at those wounds." she scolded. "C'mon, take that armour off. Saturos got a few good blows to your chest and I know you had a deep cut in your shoulder."

Mia had a good look at them all, but her healing atop the Lighthouse, combined with the Water of Hermes had ensured that they were all adequately healed. However, she still insisted upon rubbing some sort of creamy mixture on his sword wound so that it didn't get infected. As she did this, and got ready to bandage it, Isaac had a good look at the room.

On the far side were some shelves. On them were various bottles and jars of medicines and various antidotes and herbs. There were also many old, leather-bound books and scrolls, medical journals, detailing how to treat wounds and poisons. Then Isaac noticed the uppermost shelf, which contained only a few books, the oldest of all.

But these weren't books on healing. They appeared to be on other topics, "The Golden Age of Man", "History of the Mercury Clan", "Secrets of the Lost Age". And another one, placed incorrectly as though it were the last read, and quickly put back. An extremely aged leather- bound book, "The Power of the Golden Sun."

The others seem to refer to familiar subjects, but the Golden Sun one seemed unfamiliar. He'd never heard of such a thing before.

"What are those books up there?" He asked Mia as she finished bandaging the wound.

"You mean those ones on herbs and healing?"

"No, the ones above them, those historic ones."

"Oh… there some old books of Alex's that he used to own." she replied. "Before he… left. They're nothing interesting, just some stuff on how Alchemy was used in the Lost Age, and histories from then on. He liked to read about history, legends of Alchemy and stuff. But it never interfered in his healing training, thankfully. At least, it didn't…"

"Hey, Isaac." Garet interrupted, as Mia trailed off. "I'm getting kind of hungry. We should head back to the Inn soon and get some dinner." Again, Isaac's stomach ached, reminding him that breakfast was the only meal he'd had all day.

"Me too." Ivan added. "I may not eat as much as Garet, but I'm beginning to think that I could."

"Yes, we should head back now, shouldn't we?" Isaac replied. "As long as Mia is all done treating us…?"

She smiled kindly. "Yes, I am. Get going. A good meal and a nice rest will do wonders for you. I'll get myself ready here and meet you at your Inn early tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like a plan to me, see you soon then." Isaac replied. Leaving the Sanctum, the three youths left Mia, and made for the Inn through the cold, snowy streets under the late afternoon sun.

That night, Isaac slept fitfully, the blue illumination of Mercury Lighthouse shining through the window disturbing him. A constant incandescent light, reminding him of his failure to stop Saturos from lighting the beacon. His failure to rescue his two friends. From rescuing Jenna.

Felix followed Menardi through the snowy fields, away from Mercury Lighthouse, Jenna and Kraden marching between them. They had already gone around Imil, and were now heading for a small copse of trees, away from the main pathway. Menardi kept the lead, demanding the others to follow her at her pace.

The sun was getting very low now, it would be night soon. They already had a campsite set up; ready for when they would leave, prepared for the journey tomorrow. The only difference now was that Saturos and Alex had stayed behind to finish off their followers. He hated to think of it that way, but that was the truth of the matter.

He still couldn't believe that Isaac and Garet had survived, it seemed impossible! And then they had tracked and followed them to the Lighthouse. Joining with Hammet's servant and that girl Alex called Mia. And he had to abandon them all to death, at the hands of Saturos his master, an expert warrior.

They had no chance at defeating him, he was just too powerful. He couldn't bare the thought of abandoning his childhood friends to death, but he knew that he had no choice. It had to be done. To get the Mars Star. Or all was lost.

They had to stop them, Isaac and his friends aimed to stop them from lighting the Lighthouses. And they couldn't allow that. Since Saturos and Menardi had rescued him, saved his life those three years ago, they had educated him in the truth, taught him the falsehood of Vale's teachings, of the necessity of breaking the seal on Alchemy.

He knew they needed to light the Lighthouses, and release the ancient power. But sometimes he felt the price they had to pay was questionable. But a thought occurred to him, why was Saturos fighting alone? Why didn't Alex go out to help? Why had he just stood there quietly, watching impassively?

He said he knew the girl, Mia, was he reluctant to battle her? In the approximately two and a half years that Felix had known the man, he had not gotten to know him very well. Alex was always very quiet and mysterious, preferring not to get to close to anyone. He did not like to explain much about himself or his past. Sometimes his actions and decisions didn't always make sense. A very mysterious young Water Adept indeed.

"It's so cold out here!" Jenna snapped, interrupting Felix's thoughts. "Doesn't the cold ever bother any of you?"

"No, we of the north are… immune to it." Menardi replied without looking back over her shoulder.

"She's just too proud to admit she's cold too…" Jenna muttered, shivering as she tightened her cloak about here. She looked back behind her longingly, towards the Lighthouse. "Isaac…" She moaned softly, "You tried to save me… please be alright."

"I hope Saturos is okay." Felix murmured more to himself than in reply.

"I see you don't care about Isaac!" Jenna snapped.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Kraden reassured the young redhead.

"But Saturos, you've seen how powerful he is!" she replied despondently. "Poor Isaac and Garet ..." Kraden shook his head doubtfully.

"I'm not so sure." He told her. "I've studied a lot on the power of the four Elemental Lighthouses. I'm not certain, but I think that Saturos wont be able to defeat them all, the light of Mercury-"

"Saturos will be fine!" Menardi snapped irritably. "Those foolish kids will be taken out of the way soon." Felix said nothing, remained quiet. But not Jenna.

"Why? Why should they be 'taken care of' as you put it, like their not even people!" she shrieked aggressively. "Isaac has gone to so much trouble to rescue me and stop you, he's only fighting for what's right! What about you? You guys are always so self-righteous about the need to relight the Lighthouse, and the good that will supposedly come of it, but I don't see any proof, no evidence!"

"Right now, I'm not in any mood to discuss it." Menardi snapped, without bothering to look back. "Ask someone else to explain it to you."  
"I suppose you want me to explain to you the decision I made to side with Saturos and Menardi?" Felix asked his sister casually.

"No, I don't care!" she snapped. "You know the destructive power of Alchemy! You know what people all over Weyard will try and use it for! How could you possibly think there is any good in releasing it? It's a dangerous power, isn't that right, Kraden?" The old scholar turned, surprised to suddenly find himself getting involved.

"Well, yes, Alchemy's power can potentially be used for warlike purposes, it is said in the Lost Age its might very nearly destroyed all of Weyard itself!"

"You don't understand, don't you think I know that?" Felix snapped back. "I know that could happen! But I have good reasons for being on this journey. Alchemy is the source, the very power of the four Elements! And it does more than just make people Adepts and give them enormous powers of Psynergy! Alchemy has more importance than that. Saturos and Menardi have helped me to understand that, since they rescued me!"

"Can you just turn you just turn you back on Vale's sacred teachings like that?" she asked him. "What the Elders taught us? What the Wise One told them? Don't you care for that anymore?" Felix sighed.

"Kraden, isn't Alchemy the very life blood of the four Elements?"

"Yes, it is, but what are you getting at?" The scholar replied.

"That there is a very good reason for giving back Weyard this power. I understand now, that my rescuers have explained it to me."

"And you're going to believe them, Felix?" Jenna countered. "Felix, they are the reason you nearly died! That our parents are dead! Isaac overheard the two of them talking."

"We already explained all that to him." Menardi spoke up. Jenna snorted.

"I think Isaac was telling the truth, though."

"Jenna, I know that I can trust the two of them." Felix explained to his sister. "They have been like virtual foster parents to me for the past three years."

"Felix, those two are responsible for you parents deaths! OUR parent's deaths!" she shrieked at him. "Do you think our parents would have wanted you to betray Vale, and join their murderers?"

"Jenna, we did not murder your parents, it was accidental in our first attempt to retrieve the Stars." Menardi stated softly as they stopped at their campsite, turning to face them. Felix was as much surprised by her gently response as the fact that she had referred to Jenna by name. Jenna wiped an involuntary tear from her, eye, and looked back the way they had come, to Mercury Lighthouse.

"I wish Isaac and his friends had rescued me." she whimpered softly. Menardi waved her hand over the wood pile in front of her, a fire roaring into life in response to her Psynergy, heat bathing over them.

"You said you were cold." Menardi stated. "Warm yourselves up. We can't very well have our hostages dying on us before we have the Mars Star." Jenna muttered something under her breath, but made no further comment, choosing instead to sit by the fire and warm herself up. Kraden sat down next to her, muttering something about how men his age shouldn't be made to walk out in the cold.

Menardi stood nearby, keeping an equal eye alternatively on Jenna and Kraden to make sure they stayed put, and looking towards the Lighthouse, looking for a sign of Saturos and Alex's return. He long, curved bladed scythe lay against a nearby tee, blade retracted so it was now only a staff. Even though she didn't hold it, she could grab it, release the blade and have it ready for battle at a moments notice. She seemed to tense right now to sit down and relax.

Felix sighed, a fog of frost emanating from his mouth. He sat down by the fire, awaiting his friends return. It was going to be a long night.

When he saw Isaac and Garet atop that Lighthouse, events has been further complicated than what they already were. This whole quest had gone wrong ever since Sol Sanctum, when he had to reveal his face to his friends and sister. Actively betraying the Elder's commands and steal the Elemental Stars. Kidnap his own sister and an innocent scholar.

Now she hated him. His own friends probably wanted to kill him. All for the quest to release Alchemy. He wished there were something he could do to redeem himself, ease his guilty conscience, but of course there wasn't. The mission was too important.

Still, it would be some consolation if his sister, Jenna, would talk to him. Acknowledge him as her brother. Her hatred stung his heart. He sat and stared grimly into the fire, black thoughts passing through his head.

During his years with Saturos and Menardi, and later Alex, he had grown used to the cold weather of their home climate, but he was only human, and he still relished the heat of the flames.

Sometime later, he was unsure how long; Alex arrived, carrying a limp, semi-conscious Saturos with him. Menardi immediately rushed to check on him.

"Is he alright?" she asked. "What happened?"

"He'll live." Alex stated laying the stricken warrior down by the fire. "He will fully recover in time, these wounds are only superficial. I'm afraid I was unable to bring him here quickly enough. His loss of blood and the native cold have weakened him somewhat since we left the Lighthouse."  
Felix couldn't believe it, Saturos, their leader and the strongest warrior he'd ever known equalled only by Menardi, laying there beaten. Surely Isaac couldn't have-

"Impossible." Menardi spat. "It couldn't be… those kids? Did they do this?" Alex nodded as he knelt beside Saturos, preparing to heal the warrior.

"I'm afraid so." he replied.

"I knew Isaac wouldn't let me down!" Jenna smiled. Menardi shot her a glare, but Alex ignored Jenna and continued.

"It would appear that we have underestimated their abilities, but more importantly we did not perceive Mercury Lighthouses true might. It weakened him, he couldn't fight at his full power, and so his enemies that were aided by a Water Adept, who was strengthened by the power, were able to defeat him."

"I cannot believe that Isaac was able to do this." Felix muttered. This did change things a bit. Isaac and Garet should never have come.

"Well I hope he comes back here with his friends to finish the job!" Jenna prayed. Menardi laid a hand on her scythe, and knelt beside Saturos. "Not while I'm here. They won't harm him."

Alex turned to Jenna. "I'm afraid your would-be hero will not come to your rescue. Saturos put up a mighty fight, and they are worn and wounded. They will seek to rest before further pursuit."

Menardi looked up from Saturos with a fiery glint in her eye. "Then let's find these kids and avenge Saturos's defeat." Alex shook his head.

"Are you sure that is such a wise decision? I am no fighter, so can offer you no help and Felix here, loyal though he is, would be unable to raise his sword against his former friends. His feelings would prevent him. That leaves you on your own. The Water Adept, your most deadly enemy, is still strong. With the aid of the others, you would be in a tight position. Could you slay them, surrounded by innocents?"

"Are you certain they would be too dangerous to face, even without the power of Mercury Lighthouse?" Menardi asked him.

"Or are you just afraid of letting Mia get hurt?" Felix questioned him, "You did mention you once knew her." Alex was silent for a moment, and then shook his head calmly.

"No, Felix. I am not like you. My ties are severed clean. I am willing to leave her." He began weaving his healing Psynergy into Saturos, repairing his wounds. As he helped Saturos recover, he continued speaking.

"Besides, there are other reasons. We do not know where in Imil they are, or even if they are there. And Saturos requires our attention. Do you not think this is reason enough?" Felix sighed.

"I suppose. Depends on what Menardi says." Menardi didn't take her aching eyes of Saturos.

"With Saturos down, I'm in charge now. Alex, tell us exactly what happened atop mercury."

"Of course," Alex replied smoothly. "But first, one more thing." He pulled out of his pocket a small jar of clear, pure liquid. "On my way here," he informed them, "I stopped only to collect some of Hermes Water. I knew it would be there, I know the old legends of the Lighthouse. With this, Saturos should be his old self within a day."

Alex poured the liquid down Saturos's throat, who swallowed it graciously. When he was finished, he breathed easily. At once, Saturos's wounds appeared eased. Menardi breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's going to be okay." Alex sat down on a long, his work done. "Now, the story of Saturos's battle…" And he told them his story into the night.

Isaac awoke feeling greatly refreshed compared to the night before. He felt so much more energy in his limbs, and his muscles no longer ached. Outside it was cold, and he tightened the blanket around him, trying to keep warm and wanting to get back to sleep. Then he remembered what it was that he was meant to be doing and got up, shivering involuntarily against the cold, he awoke his two slumbering partners, Garet with some aggravating difficulty, and then they had a quick breakfast, packed and ventured downstairs to meet Mia.

She was already there ahead of them, calmly awaiting them in the Inn common room, in one of the wooden chairs. Her blue hair was freshly combed, tied back with a blue hair clip and she wore a clean white and pale blue dress, with dark blue markings on it.

"Good morning, I already paid the room for you." she told them politely. "Are you all ready to leave?" They all told her they were. "Good. We should hurry. I don't want anyone to know I'm leaving. Too many people will plead and insist I stay, because they don't want me too leave. But I have to. It's hard enough to leave as it is. So I want to go before anyone sees us." Isaac nodded.

"I know how you feel. It was hard for me and Garet to leave our homes, and we had our friend's encouragement behind us. Well, let's go then."

Mia picked up her pack, a dark blue no less, and made for the door. The others followed.

"I've already said good bye to Justin and Meagan." The healer explained. "They will keep my departure a secret long enough for me to leave."

Outside, it was still early morning in Imil, and there were few people out on the streets. Rushing out of town through the freshly fallen snow from the night before, they quickly left the town and followed the snowed over track that left Imil from the south west, heading through the Imilian snowfields that would eventually make it's way to the northern mountains.

As they topped the last rise out of town, Mia turned to look longingly at her hometown one last time, before turning and following the others, leaving her home behind her and out of view for she did not know how long.

They strode down the path quietly for a while, chatting lightly after a while, before Isaac decided he should explain to Mia the full story of how they came to be where they were. He described how his father and Jenna's family were lost in a tragic storm three years ago, and how he had overheard Saturos and Menardi talking. He and Garet subsequently tried to tell her about Vale, and how everyone was and Adept that possessed Psynergy in one of the four Elements, and the Elders were sworn to protect Sol Sanctum in Mount Aleph.

Satisfied she understood their home life, she asked them to continue. They described the journey into Sol Sanctum with Kraden to prove that Saturos and Menardi had broken in, and discovered the Elemental Star chamber where the two thieves aided by Alex and Felix stole all but one of the Stars and kidnapped Jenna and Kraden.

After that, the Wise One tasked them with the retrieval of the Elemental Stars. Ivan then told her the tale of how he had joined the party, and journeyed with them to Imil, the rest, of course, she already knew.

X

The next day, they reached the mountains, and followed the path up the steep snowy, slippery slopes, until they reached the cave mouth that was the opening to the tunnel that led through the mountains, opening up on the other side.

As they passed through the dark, cold tunnel, Garet in the lead with a fiery torch to light the path, Isaac decided to ask Mia something he'd meant to ask since they left Imil.

"Mia, tell us about Alex." He asked her, "We don't really know much about him, but you seem to have known him somehow at some stage." Mia sighed, although in the gloom Isaac couldn't make out her facial expressions.

"There's… really nothing to tell." she told them, her voice hinting that he was reluctant to touch the subject.

"Come on, there must be something to tell." Garet insisted from the front. "It's going to be a long trip."

"We told you our story." Ivan piped in. "So enlighten us with your own tales. I'll read your mind if I have to." He was only joking of course, he would never pry into a friend's private thoughts unwanted and Mia knew it, but his comment seemed to have achieved the desired effect.

"Fine. I'll tell you of the Alex I did know." she sighed. "We had known each other since birth, although we were not blood related. We grew up together, being taught by the then remaining members of the Mercury Clan, three full-fledged Water Adepts. We learned the arts of healing, and we both tried to help the sick and injured. We also learned the legends of our Clan; at least what was still remembered. The two of us were the only two Mercury Adepts born in a generation. Our three teachers were old. It was clear the Lighthouses power was not as it once was. The power of our Clan was waning. We were possibly the last Water Adepts the Clan would have, so our dedication to healing was paramount. Our people's very survival depended on us learning to wield our powers to heal, for there is no other cure for the Sickness. There was great mourning when the last of our teachers passed away, but fortunately Alex and I were prepared for our duties. As well, by then Justin and Meagan had also been born, though they lacked the blue hair that is unique among pure Clan members. And their powers are not as strong as me or Alex. But they signalled a continuation to the Clan, and the hopes of Imil. That is why they meant so much to me. Why me leaving meant so much, and was so hard. Do you understand now what it is like?"

"Yes," Isaac replied. "But why are you telling us this? What does it have to do with Alex?"

"I'm telling you this so that you can understand what our situation was like." she responded. "Of course, Justin and Meagan could do nothing to heal others then. Only recently have the come to lean the basic healing powers. Without that, or without the running Water of Hermes, I might have been more reluctant to leave. But either way, our people depended upon Alex and I. It was hard enough for the previous three, two of us had an even harder job. We dedicated ourselves heart and soul to the job ahead of us. We had to. We worked together, very well. I trusted Alex, and knew him very well, at least up until the other day I thought I did. Now I'm not so sure how well I ever knew him."

"He grew more distant with time, engrossed himself in his old books and studies of history. He became less emotionally bonded with me as time went on. One day, some two and a half years ago or so, a group of travellers arrived in Imil. I was engrossed in helping others and only caught a glance of them, a hint of their names. Somehow, Alex came to speak with them. I don't know why, but the next day Alex left, without explaining why, only promising to one day return. Since then, I hoped that he did have a good reason for leaving, that he would one day return. But when I saw him up there, I realised he wasn't away for any good reason. And he wasn't returning, at least not to help the sick. I felt sickened, betrayed. He had turned against his own people, his own Clan. Saturos must have promised him dreams of power and glory. I'm sure now that they must have been the travellers that Alex met with. Who else? So although I joined this quest partly to help save the world, it's also partly to find out what made Alex turn evil."

They said little after this, continuing through the dark, cold cave, thinking on their own thoughts. Slowly, the temperature did seem to warm as they approached the warmer southern side. Icicles hanging from the roof seemed to slowly disappear as they went on the tunnel began to brighten, as it became clear they were approaching the end of the cave to Bilibin.

After some time, they reached the end, the tunnel reaching out to the fresh air and afternoon sun of the Northern Mountains. They made their way down the rocky slopes to a small grassy clearing by the river, near the waterfall that was the source from the mountains. Isaac stopped them there to make camp for the night. It was a couple more days still till they reached Bilibin. Having left Mercury Lighthouse, Saturos and Menardi had no choice but to head south. They would probably have to stop at Bilibin to get fresh supplies. Isaac couldn't be sure where they would go after that. Sitting around the campfire that night, they discussed where they might go.

"I had hoped to just follow their tracks, go where they'd been till we caught up with them." Isaac told them over dinner. "There isn't anything else to do unless we can guess where they're going, and try and find a shortcut there to beat them."

"Well, we might have to guess that." Mia suggested. "They know we're after them now, they might try to cover their tracks."

"Well, they still have the Jupiter and Venus Elemental Stars, right?" Ivan offered, "So they'll probably head to one of those two Lighthouses."

"Yeah, but which one?" Garet queried around a mouthful of steak. "You've got the map, haven't you Isaac? Which Lighthouse is the closest and most easily accessible? I'll bet you that they head to that one."

Isaac laid his plate of food to the side, and looked to the unfolded map before him.

"This map only shows the continent of Angara and the northern parts of Gondowan." He told them, "But I can see Venus Lighthouse right there," he pointed to a point of the map, "way to the south, in the north-eastern area of Gondowan. It's near the Suhulla Desert and Idejima peninsula, south of the town of Lalivero. That's a long way to go, it would take a long time to reach there."

"And that's assuming that they don't head for somewhere off map for Jupiter Lighthouse." Ivan cautioned.

"Which leaves us just trying to follow, hoping we catch up!" Garet muttered.

"They'll head to Bilibin down south without a doubt." Mia declared. "There is nowhere else to go past that, it's either east or west."

"Well, the curse of Tret is east." Isaac reminded them, "I'm not sure they'll head there."

"But we don't know for sure." Garet informed. "They might be able to repel the curse with their power if they're strong enough." Isaac hadn't thought of that. Could it be possible? They had already seen some supposedly impossible powers displayed by them before…

"So there's nothing else to do then." Ivan said with a sigh, "We'll just have to find where they went in Bilibin."

"Let's hope we can find them soon." Mia said as she resumed her meal. "That Alex has a lot to answer for."

In the Lady McCoy Inn, Jenna sat miserably on her bed with the villainous thieves who had kidnapped her and Kraden, and stolen the Elemental Stars. The two leaders, Saturos and his cohort Menardi, as well as that Water Adept Alex, and her older brother Felix. No. The stranger who claimed to be her brother, she didn't know him. Didn't want to know him.

Kraden sat opposite her on the adjoining bed, in his worn, brown robes, wizened blue eyes gazing through his glass spectacles at nothing. His expression said nothing about the thoughts going through his head, other than that he was thinking deeply, which he did often. He occasionally muttered something to himself under his breath, but nothing loud enough for her to hear.

Even though she sat still and said nothing, she longed to find a way out of her situation, or at least make her captors lives a misery while they held her.

But there was little she could do. Physical resistance had immediately proven itself useless after being forced bodily from Sol Sanctum. The following day of kicking, screaming, scratching, anything to get away from those fiends had resulted only in exhausting her and further aggravating her already irate captors.

Psynergy had proven no better at freeing her, although it did at least harass her enemies more, for which she was grateful.

By the time they had reached Vault, she had given up trying for the time being, and she did nothing in the actual town, too exhausted as she was, and planning for the next efforts.

Besides, her powers would make her an outcast in such a place, she may very well have been better off temporarily with them. In the time since then, nothing she had tried had worked. She was just too weak. She had only begun being able to properly use her powers before being kidnapped, her abilities neither strong nor impressive. Either Saturos or Menardi on their own could've overwhelmed her. And the one called Alex, being a Water Adept, could easily defeat her even if he had been as weak as she currently was, simply because of his elemental advantage. She'd learnt enough about that stuff from Kraden to know her own element's strengths and weaknesses.

Every attempt she made had only resulted in either Menardi or Saturos rather fiercely telling her off. They had not once, rather strangely she thought, raised a hand against her, or even harmed her intentionally in any way physically, since imprisoning her. Only handled her roughly, and then only when necessary, in order to keep her in line.

_It's only because Felix won't let them hurt me or Kraden._ She bitterly reminded herself, _that's all. They wouldn't hold back otherwise._

Alex, on the other hand, in contrast to Saturos and Menardi's heavy-handed rule, or Felix's conflicting defence of her and imprisoning, was entirely neutral. For the one who had given them the idea of kidnapping her and Kraden, he seemed strangely distant. She didn't know, or care, about his relationship to the others, she imagined he was in close collaboration with them, but he hardly said a word to her or Kraden more than he had to.

Even now, he sat by the table on the far side of the room, toying with water in a glass. Focusing his Psynergy only a tiny amount, Alex made the water crawl out on its own, and form strange patterns on the table's wooden surface. One she recognised as being the ancient symbol of the Mercury Clan, a blue circle with a blue water drop within. It only took a minute amount to do such things.

Felix and Menardi sat by the window at another table, talking quietly amongst themselves about something or other, Jenna wasn't listening.

Felix wrapped in his green cloak, long dark hair tied back with a leather cord, sat with his back to her, eating dinner, speaking in between mouthfuls.

Menardi sat opposite him, red eyes occasionally glancing her and Kraden's way, but for the most part gazing idly out the window. She wore the same magenta battle dress as always. She was idly toying with a lock of her long blonde hair, which framed her oddly coloured, pale face with strange markings upon it. Menardi and Saturos were both reluctant to talk to her about their 'unique' looks. Felix had told her, during one of the rare times she would listen, that it wasn't tattoos, just that "their looks were native to the people of their region," and refused to tell her anything more.

Jenna could only sit and stare at her dark red dress and toy with her auburn ponytail for so long before wanting to do something to get out of there. They hadn't crushed her spirit yet! She _would_ find a way out of this yet!

This whole night was turning out to be fairly boring. She wished Isaac would rescue her. When he'd sown up on Mercury Lighthouse, her heart had leapt for joy. He and Garet, with two others, a young boy and a blue-haired girl that reminded her of Alex.

He had looked so brave and handsome up there, in his battle gear, staring eye-to-eye with Saturos like equals, determined to rescue her and set things right.

He seemed almost like a great and noble hero. She had to admit it was pretty impressive. She hadn't even noticed very much what the others looked like, only the basic details.

Then it had all gone wrong.

That woman, Menardi, and the traitor, Felix, had dragged her away, leaving poor Isaac and his friends at the mercy of Saturos and Alex, who had stayed behind the beacon.

It was welcome relief to know that Saturos had been defeated by Isaac. It was just a shame Isaac hadn't finished him off. Apparently, Alex had rescued Saturos.

But Isaac had proven himself. She hoped he would return to her soon, he would save her. It was just a matter of time.

Sighing, she made herself more comfortable on the bed, as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Alex drew the water into the glass with his Psynergy, and turned to face the door as it opened to reveal Saturos stepping into the room.

"The rumours of the tree-curse are true." he announced after shutting the door.

"Who would have imagined such power still existed in the world?" Alex questioned no-one in particular.

"What are we going to do, then?" Felix asked his master.

"Will we still go by the original, planned route?" Menardi queried her partner.

Jenna began listening to the conversation. She might just learn something interesting.

"Yes, the original route is the only option available to us." Saturos replied, the powerful warrior standing before them in the centre of the room. "The bridge between Vault and Kalay is out, it's impossible they would have repaired it in this short amount of time. So we must take the route through Kolima, over the Mogall Prairie and across the Lamakan to Kalay. But there are some slight obstacles in the way."

"Slight obstacles? Is that all?" Alex articulated sarcastically.

"What sort of obstacles?" Menardi asked, standing to face Saturos.

"The leader of Bilibin had a barricade built, preventing any access of Kolima from Bilibin and vice versa." Saturos replied, brushing back his silvery blue locks.

"Then why don't you just destroy the barrier when you get to it?" Alex asked the blue skinned leader. "Surely you and Menardi combined…"

"No." Saturos cut him of with an upraised hand and a deepened voice. "We won't go about destroying things. It would only cause more unnecessary trouble."

"So what is your plan then?" Menardi questioned.

"The Lord of Bilibin gives powerful warriors keys to get past the barricade if they desire to try and end the curse by slaying the forest guardian, Tret." Saturos told them. "I have decided we will show ourselves to this Lord McCoy, so we can get this key."

"And we will travel through cursed Kolima?" Menardi asked, cocking a blonde eyebrow. "Are you sure that's safe?"

Saturos smiled unconcerned.

"Of course, you and I are the greatest warriors of our Clan, possibly all of Weyard. This curse is surely the work of some sort of Psynergy. We can easily defend ourselves from it.

"Excellent plan, Saturos." Menardi said with a smile, nodding. "With any luck, those kids will get taken care of by the curse."

Felix breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Then we won't have to fight them." Then he grimaced. "Although abandoning them to this fate is hardly much better…"

Jenna felt mildly disgusted that this Felix guy should express such concern for those he betrayed, but she held her tongue and said nothing. She wasn't in the mood to deal with any of them berating her again. So she just contented herself muttering under her breath.

"You seem reluctant to do this to your former friends." Saturos noted the young man's attitude. Felix shook his head stubbornly.

"No, my past is gone. I understand our need to light the Lighthouses." he affirmed.

"Good. I want to know I'm able to trust our colleagues regarding those we meet on our travels."

"You can." Felix assured his master, and Jenna hated him for it.

"Good, Menardi, Felix, will you accompany me to meet Lord McCoy?" Saturos asked.

"If you three are going to meet this Lord," Alex spoke up from his place by the table. "Then perhaps I shall stay here and take care of these hostages."

"Excuse me!" Jenna then exclaimed, her anger and impatience boiling over at this comment. "Our names are Jenna and Kraden; I'll thank you to use them!"

"Quiet you!" Saturos snapped, "We don't need you interrupting our conversation!"

"Saturos, there's no need to yell at her like that." Felix growled.

"Felix!" Menardi warned icily.

"Ah, my apologies," Alex spoke calmly before Jenna could flare up. "I shall look after Lady Jenna and Master Kraden." He emphasised the names in a way that almost would have bordered on sarcasm, had he not sounded so sincere.

He had a way like that, speaking sarcasm, humour or aggression in a totally calm, honest, sincere manner. It was kind of disturbing, and Jenna didn't like it. Alex acted as though he was trustworthy, his words and personality seemed to suggest it, but Jenna just couldn't bring herself to trust him, she had a feeling inside about him, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was an enemy.

"Fine then." Saturos spoke, calmer than before. "Look after them. Come on Felix, Menardi." And he stomped out of the room unceremoniously.

"Good riddance." Jenna muttered sourly, causing Menardi to glower at her with angered red eyes.

"You should learn to have a little patience," The dangerous looking woman warned her. "Maybe try listening to us sometimes."

"Forget it; I won't listen to a thing you say." Jenna shot back, arms folded across chest defiantly. "_You_ should learn to show some respect."

Menardi glowered at her, seemingly about to retort, when Felix murmured something to her. Jenna didn't hear it, but it was enough to make Menardi choose to ignore her, instead turning to Alex and saying, "Perhaps you should try and cool that girl's temper." Then she stomped out the room, hefting her long-handled scythe, blade retracted.

Felix looked at Jenna for a moment longer with his chestnut brown eyes, then sighed and followed after Menardi, leaving Jenna and Kraden alone in the room with Alex.

Alex stared at the door his companions had left by with his blue eyes, deep blue pools of mystery. He was always reluctant to reveal his true intentions to others, unless maybe to his companions when she wasn't around. In fact, Alex never said a word more than he had to, to her. Usually it was Saturos or Menardi ordering her around, or trying to explain their wild reasoning for lighting the beacons to her, although she ever listened of course, she knew they were lies.

Sometimes, when they were alone, Felix would talk to her, try to gain her trust. But she refused; she wouldn't let the traitor deceive her.

It was then she realised that Kraden hadn't said a word during the whole thing. He still stared into nothing as though the whole world did not exist. Normally the Alchemy Sage was full of talk, indeed the whole journey had been made more bearable by the conversations with Kraden.

He had explained much to her along the way, even though most had been beyond her, but it had been better than listening to any of the antagonists. But now he was strangely silent. He had listened to the previous conversation, but said nothing, now he was again focused on his thoughts.

"Hey, Kraden, why are you so quiet?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Me, wha-oh… I was just thinking." he spluttered as he snapped out of his daydream.

"About what?"

"About what Saturos was explaining to me about Alchemy." the scholar replied.

"Why would you listen to anything he says?" she snapped. "He's a liar; he only wants to seize Alchemy for his own greed for power. You can't trust him."

"Perhaps, but nonetheless, his theories do necessitate consideration." Kraden replied in his scientific tone.

"Ah, so you are at least coming to understand our points of view?" Alex interrupted as he got up out of his chair and stood before them, between the two beds.

"I can understand Saturos' desire to light the Lighthouses and the power he would inherently gain by doing so," Kraden replied slowly, "but the reasons that he told us just don't ring true. They sound almost reasonable… but I would rather see proof before I believe."

"What reasoning is Saturos trying to tell you?" Jenna asked, demanding to know what lies Saturos had given Kraden.

"That Weyard needs Alchemy." he stated simply.

"Pfft. Weyard needs Saturos ruling the world with Alchemy, like I need a hole in the head." she snapped back.

"Ah, but yet you still misunderstand out intent." Alex told them smoothly. "There is more to be resulted from this than simple power."

"Who asked you?" she asked bitterly. Alex seemed taken aback momentarily, but he hid his shock behind a mask of blank indifference.

"No one, but would you not like to hear our full story before making judgement?" he asked coolly.

"No." she told him disdainfully.

"Well, I would like to learn more." Kraden interjected. His hunger for knowledge would sometimes lead him to listen to some unacceptable theories, Jenna thought.

"Well then, I shall tell all." Alex began as he sat down next to Kraden carefully. "Listen to our tale."

And then, because she had nothing else to do, she began listening to Alex tell his tale as though she and Kraden were friends.

X

It was late afternoon the next day when Isaac and his party arrived in Bilibin. The sun was just setting behind the Goma range to the west, and the people of Bilibin bustled on the streets to their south.

Isaac had no idea what their destination would be after passing through Bilibin. He could only hope they would find out from someone in there. There were really only two ways they could've gone. Back west, over Goma, or east towards Kolima and Kolima Forest. And the Curse of Tret.

"So you say that there is a curse that can turn people into trees near here?" Mia asked, blue eyes gazing upon the people of Bilibin.

"Yeah, it comes from Kolima Forest, from some forest guardian called Tret." Garet informed her in his loud voice.

"Supposedly, it's because the people of the town of Kolima cut down trees from the forest of the same name." Ivan told her in his younger, smaller servant's voice. "They were selling wood to the Lord of Bilibin so he could build a palace for his wife."

"Sounds rather vain. Don't people have better things to do in life?" she asked no one in particular. "Not all things can be healed, even by the best of us." Isaac led them through the town gate. Like last time, the people on the streets refused to acknowledge the presence of the man sized tree. And when they realised that the travellers were investigating it, they refused to look at them, either.

"So this is the… man-tree you told me about?" Mia asked, gesturing to the tree in front of her.

"Yes, even from here I can sense its twisted wrongness." Isaac replied, standing a little way off. He didn't like the twisted feeling coming from inside of it.

"I read his mind once, I didn't like what he was thinking." Ivan told her softly. "I couldn't bear the anguish he was feeling."

Mia grimaced. "This poor man… I wish there was some way we could ease his pain."

The attitude of a dedicated healer was still etched in her.

"Looks just like a small tree to me." Garet said, not paying any real attention.

"Let's just find an Inn for the night." Isaac stated. "We'll find out where we have to go tomorrow. There isn't anything that we can do for him." Mia left the tree somewhat reluctantly.

They strode through the streets, heading straight for the Inn they had stayed at last time, the Lady McCoy Inn. As they entered, the Innkeeper seemed to immediately recognise them.

"Aye, 'tis the lads from not all that long ago! Back in Bilibin, I see." He greeted them in a friendly Bilibin accent. "And yeh have a new blue-haired friend with yeh, what might yeh're name be, lass."  
"I am Mia, of Imil." she told him politely.

"Aye, yeh're that healer them travellers speak of. I had another one o' yeh're Clan here last night. Alex, I think his name was." Isaac's ears pricked up at this. They had been here, then!

"He and his companions," Isaac spoke up, "do you know where they went?"

"Aye, the two strange lookin' ones, with an old man and two kids yeh're age?" Isaac nodded. That was Saturos, Menardi, Kraden, Felix and Jenna.

"Can't rightly be sure, sorry to say, lad." Isaac sighed; he felt the others around him do the same. "But I might have an idea. Three of 'em went tae see Lord McCoy about the Kolima Curse. They look like real tough warriors if yeh ask me, so I 'spose they're headed east."

East? Into the Curse of Tret!

_Oh, Jenna… please be alright._

Isaac thanked the man, and payed for their rooms. When they entered the room, they immediately began talking.

"Can you believe it!" Garet exclaimed first. "Kolima! They'll all be tree-ified!"

"How can we be sure it's safe to follow?" Mia questioned. "They must have a way to defend themselves if they're heading that way. But how can we save ourselves there?"

"We don't even know if we CAN get into Kolima." Ivan reminded them. "How do we get past that barricade that McCoy built?"

"Quiet!" Isaac silenced them. "I have an idea." They all began listening intently. "They only allow powerful warriors to pass Bilibin Barricade, right? Well, we should just meet with Lord McCoy tomorrow, and obtain the key that will let us through, and we continue our pursuit. They may be a full day ahead of us, but if they want to be careful in the lands of Kolima that are Cursed, then they will be slow. Hopefully we can catch up on them."

"And how are we going to survive this curse without being tree-ified?" Gare asked.

"Garet, tree-ified isn't even a word." Ivan told the Fire Adept softly, receiving a glower in reply.

"I don't know what we can do about the Curse." Isaac admitted with a sigh.

"Maybe we can just end it like they say," Mia suggested, "by slaying Tret." Garet and Ivan looked at her like she was mad.

"We'll find a way." Isaac told them before either could say anything. "We're Adepts. We must have some sort of power with which to defend ourselves."

"Let's hope so." Ivan sighed.

X

The next day they woke up bright and early, ready to meet Lord McCoy. Mia, however, went to get some healing herbs. Heading towards the manor with the directions given to them by their friendly innkeeper, Isaac caught a glimpse of the palace that was being built next to McCoy Manor. It was just some simple framework that was barely enough for the first floor. Built with some wood from Kolima. There was still a small pile of ununsed logs nearby. In the shade of some nearby trees, a few builders were resting. Idly, Isaac wondered if they were still getting paid even though they weren't doing anything.

McCoy Manor was a large, impressive building, elaborate and expensive looking. It was rectangular, wide side towards them and three stories high, on each of the corners there was a tower jutting out of the roof and slightly out of the walls, adding a fourth floor. There were many windows along the walls and tower, and at the front were stone slabs leading up to the large wooden, elegantly carved double doors. Either side of the door stood two guards.

They were both rigidly holding long wooden spears, and were clad in polished, gleaming armour that was light, made out of simple plate and mail armour. It wasn't ideal armour, designed to look good more then to fight in, but then there hadn't been need for McCoy's men to fight anything more major than a local bandit for many generations anyway.

"Can I help yeh?" One of the guards enquired in a gruff Bilibin accent. "Are yeh warriors come tae en tha curse?"

"Yes, we want to meet Lord McCoy." Isaac replied.

"So, is he available?" Ivan asked timidly.

"Aye." The guard grinned. "He's eager to meet younger warriors, like yehselves! Foller me!" With that the guard opened the large, impressive doors and led the three of them into the hallways of McCoy Manor.

The manor was as impressive inside as it was out. A thick, expensive looking red carpet led up through the hall to large, heavy-looking wooden doors at the end. Along the way, two other hallways branched off the other parts, and several doors lined the walls. In between the doors, expensive looking paintings and tapestries decorated the way, many of Lady McCoy, while candles in decorated, golden candle holders lit the place.

As they reached the end, they stopped by the door, where the guard asked them politely to wait, while he opened the door and entered the room.

Inside, behind a large desk covered in papers, books, two candles and an inkwell, sat a round elegantly dressed man that Isaac guessed to be Lord McCoy. He sat there in a comfy looking chair scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill he would occasionally dip into his inkwell.

McCoy was a rich, somewhat round man with dark reddish hair that was slicked back and had a pointed moustache and goatee of the same colour. He wore impressive, expensive looking clothing like that of Master Hammet. He looked to be cheerful, friendly. Behind Lord McCoy were two larger, more impressive paintings of Lord and Lady McCoy.

"What 'tis it?" he called out to the guard without looking up from his writing.

"Sir! Some new warriors have just arrived regarding the Kolima business!"

"New warriors, yeh say?" McCoy questioned eagerly, looking up at the guard with a keen glint in his eye. Then he sighed, with a shake of his head. "We've sent many a man in tae that cursed Kolima Forest, but not a one has returned." Not one? "These warriors… did yeh get a good look at 'em?" The guard motioned for the three Adepts to come in. They walked through the door and stood a short distance from the desk.

"Come closer, laddy." McCoy motioned for them to step forward. The three of them stepped forward to stand right by the desk. McCoy eyed them up and down critically, making Isaac feel a little nervous.

"Hey… are these the ones yeh were talking about?" McCoy asked the guard. The guard nodded slightly nervously. "They're but children!" He spat, and then turned to look Isaac in the eye. "Would yeh expect me tae believe yeh can save Kolima?" Isaac nodded.

"Yes. We may not look it, but we three and our other companion are more powerful warriors than probably any other men in this palace." It was true. The powers that Adepts wielded was something normal people just couldn't defend against. McCoy nodded, impressed.

"Yeh're not afraid, are yeh?"

"No way!" Garet declared boldly.

"Hmm. Well, I'll grant yeh're a brave lot." Then he opened one of the draws on his desk, rummaging through the contents, producing metallic clinking sounds. He withdrew his hand to place a large, simple wrought iron key on the desk before Isaac.

"Here. This key'll get you past the barricades tae the east…" He told them, trailing off uncertainly. Isaac hesitated to reach for the key at McCoy's next sentence. "Even with the key, such wee lads as yerselves'll never reach Kolima."

"Never even _reach_ it?" Ivan exclaimed softly.

"So, will yeh still accept our little job?" McCoy asked them. Isaac nodded, and reached for the key, but stopped short when the Lord spoke up.

"Wait a second there, lad." Isaac let his hand fall back to his side. "I'm nae so sure now…"

"What troubles you, milord?" the guard asked him. "They seem willing enough…"

"They call themselves warriors…" McCoy sighed, then turned to look at them, "but they're naught but wee children! Aye, these are desperate times, but I cannae send such wee lads tae their doom!" Isaac groaned inwardly. Surely he couldn't be changing his mind now?

"Then what will happen to Kolima Forest?" the guard asked, sounding partially as though trying to convince McCoy to accept whatever help they could get anyway.

"We cannae give up hope on our other champions!"

"But what about us!" Ivan asked.

"What are you going to do with us?" Isaac added.

"We cannae send yeh intae certain doom." McCoy replied levelly.

"What if we said that we were going east anyway?" Garet asked, folding his arms over his braod chest.

"Yeh can go once things have settled down." McCoy told him in a voice that would brook no argument. Then, to finalize his point, he took the key of the desk, putting it back into the drawer and shut it.

"But that means…" Ivan spoke in disbelief, "you're not going to let us go?"

"But why?" Isaac asked. The other residents of Bilibin had been so eager for more warriors to save them, even if they were only kids.

"Ach, it's fer yer own good, lad." McCoy replied. "I dinnae wanna talk about it anymore. Captain?" The captain, who Isaac had assumed earlier to be a simple guard, stepped forward with a look of genuine sympathy on his face.

"I'm sorry, but yeh should leave now." he told the trio. He led them out of the room, shutting the door behind him, leaving McCoy back to writing whatever it was that was on his desk. As they walked back down the red carpeted hallway towards the entrance, the Captain began speaking to them.

"Yer name was… Isaac?" Isaac nodded wordlessly. "Ahm sorry that yeh were rejected." He sighed deeply, then shook his helmeted head. "I never, ever, expected something like this to happen to Bilibin."

As they stopped for him to open the dor outside, the captain turned to look at Isaac squarely in the eye. "Will yeh promise me yeh won't go tae Kolima?"

"No." Isaac replied honestly. "We have to go. We don't have a choice." The guard grinned in amusement.

"Yeh are persistent, aren't yeh?" he asked jokingly as he led them out the door and down the stone path that led up to the manor. "That barricade… yeh may not need a key." Then he seemed to realise abruptly what he'd said. "Oops… I shouldn't have said anything. Well, I'm going tae go now." Then he turned on his heel and strode back up to his place guarding the door.

"Did you hear that, Isaac?" Garet asked him.

"Might not need a key…" Ivan mused.

"Yes, interesting." Isaac replied. "I wonder what he meant. Ivan, what was he thinking?" Isaac turned to Ivan who had, of course, been reading the man's mind immediately after he said that.

"I got a firm image of the barricade in my mind." The young boy replied. "It isn't very strong, or tall. They built it very quickly, in just a day. And it's unguarded. We could just find a way…"

"Excellent." Isaac nodded. "That makes sense, we first came here only a week or so after the Mount Aleph eruption, and it was up then."

"I say we go down and take a look at this barricade!" Garet suggested.

"Well then, let's find Mia and get going." Ivan said.

"She said she'd meet us by the statue in the centre of town." Isaac reminded them. They walked quickly to the meeting place ignoring the looks some of the townsfolk gave them. Isaac now understood that they may have thought them warriors in their outfits, well Isaac and Garet at least, but they also thought them to be children.

As they reached the larger-than-life statue, they found that Mia was already there waiting for them patiently. Her blue pack was bulging slightly more than it had before, and her blue hair was neatly held back with a blue hair clip. A few passer-by's glanced at her hair colour, such a thing was unusual in Bilibin. But apparently not such an oddity that it warranted more than a bemused glance, they had seen stranger travellers here recently, namely Saturos, Menardi and their lackey Alex.

Mia hardly noticed the stares; she'd probably received worse from foreigners in her hometown of Imil. As her sea-blue eyes saw them, she smiled warmly.

"You took your time." she told them. "Now, I got plenty of supplies to look after us on our trip. I got some food, but I also got medicines, healing herbs, antidotes that will cure most poisons, potions and vials of…"

"How much stuff do we need in case of injury?" Garet asked, interrupting.

"Enough." she replied matter-of-factly. "Anyway, how did your meeting with Lord McCoy go?"

"Not as well as we'd hoped." Ivan replied. "But it actually worked out in the end." Isaac told her everything that happened, McCoy's rejection of their help and refusal to hand over the key and the guards slip of the tongue.

"So, we're heading east, then?" she asked when he was finished.

"Sure are." Garet replied.

"If someone is turned into a tree…" she mused, concerned. "I don't think that there is anything I know of that can help you…"

"Let's just hope no-one does get, as Garet puts it, 'tree-ified', then." Ivan joked.

"Hey, we're Adepts, we can handle it!" Garet insisted, ignoring the small Adept's gibe at him.

"Not if we stand around here all day!" Isaac reminded them. "Let's move!"

**A/N:** Well, that's a wrap. I didn't mean to make this chapter so… well sort of a travelling chapter, but I had lots of stuff that I wanted to show from Felix and Jenna's POV and also have Mia talk a bit about Alex, give some little hint of his past and… well, yeah, you see what happened. But if it makes you all happy, in the month that I squandered watching my precious anime collection, I did get pretty far writing the next chapter (before even uploading this!) and it shouldn't be too long a wait. I might even have to split it up into two chaps with the way it's looking right now.

Oh yeah, before I forget, recently my comps been screwing me around (again) and won't let me review anything! So if I normally review something of yours, and haven't done so recently, just know I did read, but couldn't review. I might just try sending of emails instead, but… we'll see.

Well, if you put up with my ramble long enough to read this far, then let me ask that you leave a review. Don't have to be much, just a simple "I'm reading and enjoying this" (or not, but then if you aren't enjoying then why have you read this far, hmm?) So yeah, get crackin, people. Just remember, those lovely chaps of ff.n gave us authors hit counts now! (THANKS!) So I'll know if I'm getting' more readers than reviewers ;)


	12. The Curse of Tret

**A/N: **Well, another chapter for you all, the update you've all been waiting for! Read theabout the sheer terror of a tree whose bark is worse than his bite! (drum beat) Hyuk, hyuk, get it? (nobody laughs) Ok, ok, I'll just get straight to replying to your reviews, okay? But first…

**Disclaimer: **Look, I don't own, okay? Stop asking! It isn't me, I swear!

**Sorceress Sakura: **Hello! Thank you! Wow, someone else has the same review problem as I do? I'm not alone! (feels happy).

**SpasticDjinn: **Heh, maybe it's just my imagination, but your not slightly insane by any chance, are you? Well, that's just the sort of review I should expect from a man whose so insane, even the insane asylum won't take him in, lol. (You can use that one in your list of titles if you want!) Oh well, glad you like it, hope you like this.

**zero degreez: **Thank you! Glad you like it! Yeah, I like throwing in little extras that weren't in the game, just to make it more interesting, y'know? Yeah, I know Jenna's been a little hard to get on with for everyone (to put it mildly) but yes, that is something that'll change as the story goes on. I mean, at the start of the next game, she and Felix were getting one good, so we gotta get there eventually. And she's still yet to find out that her parents are still alive, and can be brought back by helping out Felix… and when that little bombshell drops… hehe, that'll change things a little.

**Kd7sov: **Thank you! Arborification? Hang on… (checks dictionary) (doesn't find it) stupid old edition… oh well, thank you… I think, lol. No, I don't think Weyard did have Rome, but Tolbi seems to be pretty close. Yes, I do like to throw in parts you don't normally see in the game, it's fun! Heh heh, have Mia kick Dodonpa? Okay, then, I will! For you, man, for you!

**Spirit Seer: **Thanx! Yeah, them little typos… I think I did a good job on them this time, though… (though that probably just jinxed it, now they'll be everywhere, lol!) Cool, glad you like my switching PoV's around. I didn't fit any in this chapter, but we'll see how I can do later on, eh? Thanx for reviewing!

**Animeniac:** Try it out now, should work.

**Corycian Muse: **Thank you! I do try to make it as realistic as possible, I like to go for realism. Hey, I did reach 100,000 words, didn't I? Cool! Thank you for the quality comment, makes me feel good. I know I've achieved what I want, then! 'tis also good that you like the 'travelling chapter' thing, seeing as they'll be a few in here simply because of how the game works. I mean, I've got Mogall Forest travelling, Altin mines travelling, Lamakan desert travelling… wow, I'm getting ahead of myself here! But yeah… epic? Never thought of it like that, but thanks!

**GoldenSunGeek: **Yeah, I didn't expect it to be that long, but at least you liked it. Ah, 'tis okay if you take a break from fanfiction. I've already finished ToS (took me 52 hours! Not bad when the box says it takes 70! Wow, 52 hours of my life gone…) So yeah, take your time!

Okay, then, so that's everyone! I'm glad you all like long chapters (see, feedback helps!) and I'll try to keep them decent sizes, but I don't think I can match that last lengthy post… and I very much doubt I'll go over, but we'll see. Anyhow, hope you like this one!

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**THE CURSE OF TRET**

The walk from Bilibin over the next few hours proved to be very uneventful. Indeed for the past few days, monster activity had been rather quiet. There had hardly been any incidents at all since Mercury Lighthouse. Maybe it was the fact that there were four of the now, and of those four were even stronger in Psynergy now than they were before the battle with Saturos.

Monsters seemed to stay well away from towns, or any other crowds of people, but would attack lone travellers or any other seemingly easy targets. But as they trekked closer to Bilibin Barricade, and Kolima Forest, they did start to see more creatures around, though fortunately none came close. But Isaac remained wary. They were all a good deal more powerful than when they started their journey, all of them equal in strength, but they still might run into some nasty monsters.

"I'm hungry. I think its lunchtime now." Garet moaned at about noon. He was always good at knowing when it was time to eat, whether it was breakfast, lunch or tea. He was the human clock that let Isaac and his friends know the time, as well as the human eating machine.

"Alright, let's stop here and have a quick rest." Isaac stated, opening his pack to get lunch out. The others did the same, sitting on some large rock jutting out of the ground. All around the landscape was deceptively peaceful, open grassy plains with occasional trees dotting the scene. No human or monster could sneak up on them unseen.

"How long until we reach Bilibin Barricade, do you think?" Ivan asked over his sandwich.

"We should reach it by the days end." Isaac replied. "We'll know we're getting close when the road starts running alongside a river."

"What about the curse?" Mia asked. "When do you think that will be a problem?"

"I guess we shouldn't have to worry about that until we pass the barricade." Isaac figured. "But still, we should be careful anyway. The Curse's power may have spread."

They both nodded silently and said nothing, looking warily around. Garet was too busy gorging himself with food to say or notice anything.

After finishing, they continued following the path that led to the town of Kolima. Sometime after noon they did indeed find the river that indicated their approach to the Barricade. They quickly stopped only to take a drink and refill their water canteens before continuing on.

It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky behind them when they reached the Barricade. The road followed a narrow strip of land between the river to the north-west and the mountains to the south-east. There was no other way to reach Kolima save by crossing the wide river, which ran all the way from the northern mountains to this point, or over the mountain range here, which was a steep obstacle in itself. The Barricade itself was rather unimpressive to say the least.

It covered only the tiny space between the river and the cliffs of the mountain, and was only barely twice Isaac's height. It wasn't very thick at all, a wooden structure seemingly made of wooden crates and logs nailed together. In the centre was a wooden door with a key lock, the way through. Nearby was posted a wooden sign, reading-

"_No trespassing without a permit." –Lord McCoy._

"_That's_ the barricade!" Mia asked in disbelief.

"No wonder the guard said we might get past." Ivan said. "There isn't even anyone guarding it!" Indeed the whole place was devoid of any other human life save for them. But then, Isaac could understand why no-one would want to hang around.

"Hey, I can just _burn_ this think down!" Garet exclaimed. He raised his hand to put his words into practice, but Isaac stopped him.

"No, Garet. We're not going to just burn this thing down." Isaac told him. "Let's see if we can try and find a proper way past, first."

Isaac walked right up to take a look at it, the others followed behind him. He could probably just break the door down, or even the entire barricade if he tried, with his powers, but he didn't want to cause any damage to McCoy's property, even if he was responsible for this mess in the first place.

He ran his hand along the walls, pushing to search for any weak spots.

"Come on, Isaac." Garet pleaded behind him. "It'll be easier!"

"No."

"Well, what about you, Mia?" Gare said to the Water Adept. "Can't you just freeze a pathway over the river with your Psynergy?"

"No, I can't, Garet." she replied. "The water is flowing, which makes it more difficult to freeze than still water. Besides, the force of the flow would drag away any platform I make. Even if it didn't, it would still sink under our own weight unless I made it reach the bottom which would take too much power."

"Oh, great." Garet then groaned. "Let's hope Isaac does find a way through then."

Isaac reached a large crate at the end that gave way when he pushed it. He pushed it again. Definitely not nailed to the others. Focusing his Psynergy, Isaac dragged the crate out of its section with invisible forces, leaving a large gap open that was large enough for them all to fit through.

"Hey, Isaac did it!" Ivan crowed.

"Good work!" Mia congratulated.

"All right, sorry I doubted you then." Garet muttered, swallowing his pride.

They crossed through to the other side, and Isaac shut the gap behind them, hiding their passing. This side was hardly much more different than the other side, except for one noticeable difference.

Two human sized trees stood by the edge of the river. Human-trees. One was lying on its side, its roots not even digging into the ground, as though it weren't on the ground when it was "tree-ified" and had since fallen over. And there was a third floating in the river, stuck against two rocks jutting out over the surface.

"Isaac, I think those trees are really people!" Mia gasped.

Ivan quickly ran over to the tree-people and used his mind read ability.

"Yes, these two are both really people." he reported. "And that third one in the river is their friend who fell in!"

"Let's find a way to save it, then!" Isaac suggested.

He rushed to the edge of the river, and started pulling it towards him with his Psynergy. As it was dislodged from the rocks, Isaac grabbed it to prevent the thing from being washed downstream and was prevented from falling in only by Garet joining in and grabbing Isaac's collar, pulling him from behind. As they got it closer to shore, Ivan and Mia came in to join them and they quickly got it safely to solid ground and upright again. As they sat down to rest, Ivan cast a Psynergy spell on it.

"Her name is Jill." Ivan told him after mind reading the tree. "And she says thank you for saving her."

"No problem!" Isaac grinned. "Always willing to help those in need!" It felt kind of strange talking to a tree though, he had to admit.

"So the curse has spread this far, then." Mia stated.

"Looks like we got a dangerous trek ahead of us, then." Isaac noted.

"Hey, what was the tree doing in the water anyway?" Gare asked aloud. "Were they trying to swim across when the Curse got them?" Ivan mind read one of the two original trees.

"The three of them were climbing up on one another's shoulder when the Curse hit them." Ivan replied. "They were trying to get some persimmons from atop that cliff." Ivan pointed to the top of the small cliff, where, indeed, some persimmons were growing. "But after being turned into trees, the two at the top lost balance and fell off. One landed on the ground, while the other, Jill, fell in the river."

"Do you think we'll find others like this?" Garet asked.

"Let's hope not." Isaac answered. "I don't want to waste anymore of our time. Let's hurry; there are still a couple of hours of daylight left."

So they shouldered their packs and continued on their way down the dirt path. Isaac warily kept his eyes on their surrounding the whole way. Everything seemed normal. Every tree they passed Isaac carefully looked at. But they were all normal. And they hadn't started turning into trees yet, that was good. Nothing about them suggested that the Curse of Tret was going to get them. But they trudged on silently anyway, wary for any unexpected change.

When they stopped to camp for the night, by the side of the road, they sat by the camp fire uncomfortably, eyes watching their surroundings.

"Where do you think Saturos will be heading now?" Ivan asked abruptly, shattering the silence.

"There's only one way to go." Isaac replied. "South, over the Mogall Prairie, near the Fuchin Temple. But anyway, they'll have to pass through the town of Kolima, and likely the people who have been "tree-ified" there will see them, so we can find out how far behind we are."

"Sounds like a plan." Mia said. "But what do you think we should do for supplies? There won't be anyone selling in Kolima." Isaac shrugged.

"We'll just have to see what we can find in the shops there." he replied, then grinned. "We won't steal anything. I'll leave some gold coins behind." He didn't exactly want to steal, no matter what the circumstances.

"Let's hope the curse doesn't get to us first though." Garet muttered, with a frown.

"Nothing's happened so far." Ivan shrugged.

"We'll make it." Isaac muttered. "I hope."

That night they all decided it was best if one person stayed up to watch over them, while the others slept, taking it in turns and agreeing to wake the others is something did occur.

x

The next day, they continued their trek to Kolima. Nothing had happened to them last night, and nothing happened now. Maybe the Curse just didn't affect Adepts? As they were walking, Isaac came to realise something. All the animals around, birds, foxes; they were all normal. They went about their daily routine unchanged. The curse didn't affect them. Only humans. Well, it had been humans who cut down trees from Kolima Forest, so it made sense that it only targeted tem.

To the north, Kolima Forest was only just visible on the horizon. Isaac kept his eyes away from it. Those trees must have been tall to be visible from so far. He didn't want to be cursed by their power.

The town of Kolima was soon within sight and they rushed to investigate. Kolima was a town carved out of giant trees; houses, Inns and other buildings carved into gigantic trunks. The town was as big as Bilibin, but many times taller as the trees reached up into the sky. They must have been some 30 foot high!

As they entered, Isaac became aware of the lack of people. Nowhere in the dirt streets or in the buildings when they looked through windows, were there any people. But small, human sized trees were everywhere. All of which were covered in a variety of regular looking clothing. Isaac could guess what they were.

All along the ground lay a fine layer of sparkly, glowing powder, thicker in some places than others, as though someone had just randomly scattered fairy dust everywhere.

Some of the trees looked as though they were just in the middle of something. One looked almost to be in the middle of walking. Another had a door half open in a hand-like branch. Through a window, he saw a tree hold some coins over a counter in one branch while another tree's branch reached for it.

All around, the silence was… haunting. In the middle of a forest town and nothing to be heard except some distant birds chirping, and their own breathing.

"I can't hear anything…" Isaac murmured.

"It's quiet…" Garet noted. "Too quiet."

"This is kind of disturbing." Mia said.

"What's wrong, Ivan?" Garet asked. Isaac turned to see the Jupiter Adept standing by one of the trees, focusing his mind read power.

"This tree… was a person." He confirmed their fears. So they were right. No surprise there.

"Everyone in Kolima has been turned into a tree." Isaac noted, thinking aloud.

"Why?" Mia asked. "Why would Tret do something so cruel?"

"Because maybe he's an angry, wrathful tree." Isaac guessed. "But who could have imagined that this…" He trailed off. Kolima was worse than he thought.

"I see…" Mia started. "Who could have known?"

"What is it now, Ivan?" Garet asked the Wind Adept, who was now kicking a pile of the fine sparkly powder.

"This sparkly stuff on the ground…" Ivan murmured. "I wonder what it is…" Isaac shrugged in reply.

Suddenly, something seemed to attack Isaac's mind, pain exploding everywhere in his brain, and he felt his body crumble to the floor, unable to move.

"What's happening!" Garet screamed. They were all lying on the ground, unable to move. Isaac felt fine physically, but whenever he tried to move… nothing happened.

"My mind!" Ivan squealed. "Something's attacking my-" he cut off, unable to continue. Isaac could still breath normal, his heart was beating, he could shift his eyes and even speak evidently, but not move a muscle. And his mind screamed in pain.

"What's that?" Garet asked loudly, sounding shocked. "Something's falling from the sky!"

Isaac flicked his eyes over and saw that hundreds of sparkling drops of powder were slowly floating from the sky, landing lightly on whatever they hit. They were falling some distance from where they were now, but they were slowly coming towards them.

"It's sparkling!" Ivan exclaimed. "Could this be what turned those people into…?" But he didn't say it.

"I think so!" Isaac replied. The sparkly things were now falling only metres from them now.

"We have to get out of here!" Ivan called out

"I can't! I can't move!" Garet growled between clenched teeth. They were floating within arms reach now. Soon.

As the first flakes of sparkling power floated down above his head, Isaac closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But nothing happened.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he and the others were suddenly surrounded by partly transparent blue domes that deflected the things. As soon as they came into contact with the surface of the domes, they just dissipated with the sound of raindrops landing in water. Dozens of the things hit their domes and vanished before the shower of sparkly drops passed by. As soon as they were gone, the transparent blue domes shrunk into their bodies and vanished. Isaac couldn't believe it. They'd been saved!

"Isaac…" Garet called from his place on the ground. They still couldn't move. "What just happened to us? That barrier… what was it?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Isaac replied from where he lay.

Ivan spoke up, "I think I know what those domes were…" Then he went silent.

"What do you think they were, Ivan?" Mia prompted, laying on her back, unable to move.

"It was our Psynergy." the Wind Adept stated simply.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Garet exclaimed. "I didn't use any Psynergy!"

Isaac didn't think they could have done anything. The pain in his mind subsided. Suddenly, Garet stood up, shocking the others.

"Hey… I can stand… I can move again!" he called out excitedly. Isaac moved to get back on his feet and found much to his surprise that he could.

"Ivan, Mia, its okay!" he called to the other two. "Go ahead! Stand up!"

They stood up, relief clear upon their faces. He still felt exactly the same as before, just now his muscles responded when he tried to move.

"I was worried I'd never move again for a while there!" Mia exclaimed. "I don't know of any cure for permanent paralysis."

"Those barriers…" Ivan mused. "I thought that Psynergy was only used when we concentrated, right?"

"That's right." Isaac nodded. "That's how I've always summoned my power."

"The powers of the Mercury Clan were always taught that way." Mia stated. "Through meditation and concentration."

"Sometimes, when I was training," Garet began, "I'd focus so hard, I thought my head would burst."  
"Well, maybe it's just easier for you." Ivan shrugged in response, "but when I use Psynergy... Anyway, I'm certain that was Psynergy we were projecting. I think that must mean that some Psynergy only acts when it's needed."

"You mean, like when we're in danger?" Garet asked.

"I think it's like when we suddenly learn new abilities in battle." Isaac guessed. "Or when we're saved by summoning some Psynergy we didn't realise we knew. We can't control it, but it's there when we need it."

"I agree with what Isaac is saying." Ivan said. "It is definitely possible…"

"I know what you mean." Mia added. "When I was a little girl, I was once so desperate to heal a sick relative; I summoned some power without even knowing what I did."

Isaac could remember when he was in the cave with the bats, and formed a shield about himself without even realising it. Or when Garet had deflected a fiery blast from Saturos atop Mercury even though he couldn't possibly have had time to do it... Likely the others had had similar experiences.

"Wouldn't it be something if we could use that power at any time, Isaac?" Garet asked.

"Yes, that would come in handy." Isaac replied, nodding.

"Yeah! Let's start trying to master this power!" Garet suggested, with an enthusiastic smile.

"Watch out!" Ivan suddenly warned. "It's happening again!"

Again, a shower of sparkling particles floating slowly down from the sky some way off, slowly approaching them. As it approached, Isaac focused himself. No paralysis afflicted them this time, but he was still prepared. Just as the particles began to fall nearby, the familiar transparent blue domes appeared around them like before. The particles again vanished with the sound of light, small splashes, as their power contacted that of the domes. The particle shower ceased and their protective domes faded.

Isaac couldn't quite put his finger on that involuntary Psynergy. It came from within him somehow, yet how or why eluded him. Trying to control it, its power just seemingly slipped through his fingers.

"_Hroom! Why?"_ A loud angry, wrathful male voice suddenly boomed in Isaac's head. _"Why don't they turn into trees…?"_

"_Who are they?"_ A female voice, this one tinged with sorrow and sadness, then asked, from somewhere around them. _"What people are these, who are immune to Tret's glamour? Have they come to save the village with their strange powers? It will not be enough to save the people of Kolima."_

"Can you hear that?" Isaac asked the others. They looked at him quizzically, and Garet asked him what he was talking about.

"_They have earned their fate…"_ the deep, angry male voice then said in response to the female voice that Isaac had heard. _"Kolima took their axes to me, and now I shall take mine to them!"_

That voice… could it be?

"That voice, did you hear it?" They shook their heads.

"You know, hearing voices in your isn't usually considered a good sign, Isaac…" Garet said slowly.

"_You children may not know this…"_ the female voice then said to Isaac sympathetically, "_but we are dying. And Kolima Forest will wither and die when we are gone."  
"We are not the only ones who will die, Laurel."_ The deep male voice then reminded her aggressively. _"Once we are gone, they too, will go!"_ Laurel was her name. Could that mean the male was…

"Who are they?" Ivan asked. "Are the voices of the trees talking to you?"

"Yes, and I think I know who they are…" Isaac replied slowly.

"_Tret was once a kindly forest king."_ Laurel then informed them as though reading Isaac's mind_. "But he is dying, and his heart has been torn in two… His wrathful side turned the people of Kolima into trees. The kind Tret speaks no more."_

"_Hroom! The kindly heart invites destruction…"_ Tret growled. _"I need no kindness!"_

"_If you wish to save those whom Tret turned into trees, you must reawaken his gentle side. _Laurel said, _But… if you cannot stop Tret from withering, we all will… Look for Tret deep within the forest."_

"_It's no use, Laurel."_ Tret told her. _"Humans cannot be trusted! I shall die… and the rest of the forest shall die with me!"_

Then they were gone, their presence no longer felt in Isaac's heart.

"I could hear the voice of Tret and Laurel." Isaac said now that the conversation was over. He explained everything. "I guess I could hear them because I'm an Earth Adept."

They sat their silently for a moment. Tret and Laurel… how had they spoken to him like that if they were deep in the forest? And they needed to be helped or… could they just abandon the people of Kolima to their fate?

"Isaac…" Ivan began slowly. "Don't you think we should do something? I feel so sorry for these people…"

"Yes, I think there is." Isaac replied, looking around sadly at the "tree-ified" people of Kolima.

"What can we do?" Garet asked. "Do you have any idea?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." he responded, turning to face the direction of Kolima Forest.

"It looks like Isaac has something in mind." Mia observed of the Earth Adept.

"We'll leave it up to you, Isaac." Ivan told the party leader. "Let's go save everyone."

So the four of them, under Isaac's lead, left Kolima and its residents behind them to head north to the deep, dark demesne of Kolima Forest.

x

By the end of the day, they were only a short distance from Kolima Forest. It was a long walk, and the tall trees were visible in the fading daylight. But the four Adepts made camp rather than face Kolima Forest at night. Nothing had happened to them, except an increasing sense of foreboding.

Again, they chose to take it in turns on sentry duty, just in case. Nothing had happened, and their powers had proven effective at defending them against Tret's powers, but better to be safe.

Early the next day, they entered the forest of Kolima. It had the appearance of age old trees, stretching far above, going deep into the heart of the forest. But there was an air of darkness and deceptive danger about them. They continued deep into the forest until trees surrounded them on all sides and they had no idea where they were going. Along the way, they seen many tree stumps and chopped down trunks. The work of Kolima lumberjacks. Apart from the huge trees surrounding them, they also encountered smaller, human-trees.

Many were simply woodcutters caught in the forest when the curse struck. But others still were warriors. Ivan always told them who they were by mind reading the victims. A few were soldiers from Bilibin who had been sent in to find and slay Tret. A couple were mercenaries from Lunpa, keen to find a reward and ignoring the dangers of the curse. There was a warrior who had come from Xian and another who had come from Tolbi and wanted to be a 'Colosso Warrior', whatever that was. And there were others, warriors, fighters and mercenaries all sent in to defeat Tret.

And all failures. Isaac had no really idea where he was leading the others, just deeper into the forest, but he had a feeling. He was surrounded by his element. He could only hope his gut feeling would guide him and the others to the right place.

If that had been all to the forest, including the ever-present fear of the Curse, the journey would have been easy, excusing the fact that they were lost. But it wasn't. Trees weren't the only things to populate Kolima Forest. Monsters crept around behind trees, hunting them, keeping them all on edge. They all had their weapons drawn and eyes intensely focused on their surroundings. Isaac's mind was intensely focused; he was ready to unleash a number of Psynergy spells at anything that attacked. At first, no creatures came near them; perhaps the sight of humans not turned into trees confused them. Their numbers may have scared off the individual ones, as had done so previously in their quest. At any rate, it wasn't long before they were assaulted.

A swarm of larges wasps, the size of Isaac's chest appeared from ahead of them, buzzing towards them with large pointed stingers aimed for attack.

Ivan immediately raised his Shaman's Rod and called down bolts of lighting blasting many of the creatures down to the ground, where they failed to move again.

Garet raised his hand and formed dozens of small fireballs which flew through the air and incinerated every wasp that they camp into contact with. Mia unleashed shards of jagged, razor sharp icicles from the orb of her Angelic Ankh, which sliced through the bodies of several monsters, leaving bloodied messes. Isaac managed to crush a couple with a stone spire attack before they descended upon them.

He fought hard with his blade, slicing every one of the insects that came near him. He even launched a few more stone spires at some others. Ivan was using his short sword to defend himself against any that came too close, while blasting others with bolts of lightning until he decided to summons a whirlwind about himself, preventing any from coming near him. Garet started hacking as many as he could with his large axe, while burning away others with his Fire Psynergy. Mia was also heavily involved in defending herself, unleashing torrents of frost, water and sharp icicles at her assailants. Any that came to close were hit her Ankh, falling to the ground in a thick, heavy coating of ice. They were able to defend themselves without major injury and killed most of their attackers.

Soon, the swarm suddenly decided to stop attacking and withdrew, having suffered heavy losses and clearly defeated. Wasting no time, Isaac led them away through the forest. Although they were all somewhat injured, the assault had left them with minor cuts and bruises, they continued on for fear of a renewed assault. As soon as they found a small clearing, they immediately halted for a rest.

Isaac focused his Psynergy and uprooted all the nearby bushes and plants, creating small tremors in the earth to fell several small trees so that nothing could possibly sneak up on them unseen. Plus it would scare of anything that was nearby. Then, he sat down to rest, with the others.

Mia insisted on healing them all instead of Isaac. She argued that Water Psynergy was better at healing then Earth Psynergy, and besides, she was a trained Psynergetic healer who had been healing since she first began training, while he wasn't.

They didn't rest easy, keeping a wary eye out for any potential attackers, but fortunately none came. They would have seen any well before they reached them, thanks to Isaac's work at clearing the area.

After Mia had healed everyone's wounds- they had all received minor scratches or bruises but no one had actually been stung- they sat down to a quick lunch. According to the sun above them, it was about noon.

"How much longer 'til we get to this Tret tree?" Garet asked while they were resting.

"I'm not sure; I don't know exactly where it is." Isaac answered.

"You mean we're lost?" he asked.

"No, I can… feel the power of the forest in the trees here." Isaac explained. "I can sense that the focus of that power, Tret and Laurel, are up ahead that way." He pointed in a northward direction. "So I have an idea of where we're headed."

"And what about on the way back?" Ivan asked. Isaac cast his eyes downward.

"We'll just have to find a way." he sighed.

"Great, so even if we succeed, we're trapped in here." Garet groaned.

"Let's hope not." Isaac stated, getting up to leave. Having finished their rest, they left the relative safety of the clearing to continue deeper into the old forest at Isaac's lead.

They encountered a troll while they were trying to drive off a few fat, green worms with razor sharp claws protruding form their back. While they were finishing off the last of them, there had only been a few, Ivan had stepped back and bumped into the large brown-furred creature which had been sleeping inconspicuously against a large tree trunk. Awaking with a start, the creature stood up to it's full height of ten feet, grabbing the stolen wood-axe and trying to blink half asleep eyes awake. Before it had a chance to do anything, Ivan stretched out his open hand and focused some form of Psynergy at it, white glowing particles dancing about its head. The Troll yawned, dropped its axe, and fell asleep once more, crashing to the ground.

"How did you do that?" Mia asked him as Isaac and Garet returned. "I've never seen any ability like that, which can put creatures to sleep."

"It's just something I learned myself while I grew up with Hammet." Ivan shrugged modestly. "It's nothing special."

"Hey, that's great!" Garet exclaimed. "We shouldn't have to fight monsters if you can just put them to sleep!"

"No, it doesn't work like that." Ivan stated, shaking his head. "That troll thing was already half-asleep, and not trying to resist. If it had been awake, it would have been very difficult, and more so if it tried to resist."

"So, basically, it only works if they're already tired?" Isaac asked.

"That's right." Ivan answered. "In the middle of a battle, it would have been nearly impossible to make it work. I was just hoping to avoid having to fight it."

"Well, it should come in handy anyway." Isaac said.

They continued making their way through the forest. Isaac could sense that they were getting very close to the heart of Kolima Forest's power. The source of all the life of the trees about them was looming up ahead. As he focused on the well being of the trees, he slowly became aware that they were, indeed, suffering, dying. The life force was slipping and it was only held onto because Tret still lived.

They passed a large pond, severed tree trunks floating in its water. Kolima woodchoppers had been here too. But up ahead… they were so close. They passed through the last of the large trees, and suddenly found themselves in a wide meadow, overshadowed by two large trees. Isaac stared straight at them. They were massive! They stood under the eaves of the nearest one, the branches reached over a hundred feet in the air! The trunk was thicker than a house! And there carved upon the trunk before them, was a beautiful, young wizened female face, with her eyes closed and a look of perpetual sorrow upon her face. As they stood in front of her, Laurel opened her eyes, and looked at them sympathetically.

"Who are you?" she asked slowly, voice tinged with sorrow. "Oh! You are the ones who resisted Tret's glamour?" Isaac nodded. "I sense great warmth within you…" she mused closing her eyes. She opened them again, and looked at them with pity. "If you came to rescue Tret, you are already too late. Soon, Tret will die, and we will wither away without him. Leave now, before this forest is destroyed…"

"No! You can't die yet!" Isaac declared. "We're going to heal Tret and reawaken his gentle side!" But all Laurel could do was tell them to leave, the forest was dying.

"Come on, Isaac. Let's go see Tret." Garet suggested.

They left the silent Laurel tree to investigate the other monolithic tree, Tret. The face upon the trunk seemed strong and masculine, old and wise. Now his eyes were closed in silent sleep, unaware of anything around him.

"Tret, are you there?" Isaac asked. "Talk to us!" Only silence answered him. Then, Tret's voice boomed around them from elsewhere, not from the face.

"Hroom! He will not speak to you, child!" the other Tret, his wrathful side, spat. "I control all in Tret's realm!" The face of Tret's other half made no flicker of movement. Laurel had said they must reawaken his gentle side.

"Tret, you must suppress the evil in you!" Isaac told the tree. "Wake up!"

The face of the kind Tret gave no response. And the evil Tret said nothing.

"Isaac, he won't reply, I don't think." Garet said.

Ivan focused his Mind Read Psynergy upon the tree briefly, and then gave up.

"I can't reach him." he sighed.

"Somehow we have to heal his good half, reawaken him." Mia suggested.

"How would we do that?" Garet asked.

"I have an idea." Isaac said. Then he closed his eyes, and focused on the power within him, the warm healing Venus Psynergy filling his body. Placing an open hand upon the tree, he channelled the power out of his body and directed it into the tree. But his healing power achieved nothing, failed to reach Tret.

"It won't work." he sighed. "I can't reach him."

"What, so it's hopeless." Garet asked.

"There has to be something we can do!" Ivan exclaimed.

"There must be a way to heal him!" Mia pleaded. Isaac thought for a moment. They could try reaching into the core of Tret's power.

"The tree is hollow." Isaac informed them. "I can sense it. I think if we try and enter… we can find the heart of Tret, and reawaken him from there."

"It's worth a shot." Ivan shrugged.

"Let's go, then!" Garet grinned.

The four of them climbed up one of the thick vines that hung down Tret's trunk from his lower branches, they were well capable of supporting their weight, and they began climbing along the huge branches that were wide enough for them to walk along. Always, they were guided by Isaac's earth sense.

There were many of these thick branches, and they climbed steadily up, sometimes with the aid of thick vines to make their way to higher branches. Up and up slowly, to dizzying heights, until eventually, the ground was an indistinct blur a long way below them.

Finally, they found a crack in the trunk somewhere near the top that allowed them access into the hollow trunk. From there, Isaac had to lead them down, down, into the heart of Tret.

There were some thick spider webs that they were miraculously able to walk across, woven by overly large monster spiders. The inside of the tree was like a large, hollow wooden cylinder, with several sections of wooden, uneven "floors" dotted unevenly at random heights, although these floors had some large holes inside of them that the spider webs covered.

It was while trying to walk across the first of these webs that they came across the giant spiders that made them.

Looking like normal spiders, except for being big enough to reach Garet's waist, four of them crept slowly towards them quietly, though not unnoticed. Ivan whipped one away with a small whirlwind, drawing his sword. Garet was about to incinerate another, with a very well placed fireball, but Isaac stopped him. If he did that, the web would catch fire, and they would fall.

Mia froze one to the web in its tracks as it approached them, allowing Garet to cleave it with his axe. Isaac beat another off with his sword, severing off two of its legs, before managing to slice through its head.

He turned to see that Ivan had already killed the first one, while Garet and Mia were finishing off the last. Those things had been easy; they hadn't put up much of a fight. It was clear they were growing more powerful, they were defeating monsters they encountered with more and more ease.

They continued making their way steadily down. If there were any other giant spiders, along the way, they didn't see them. Perhaps their earlier demonstration had scared them off. At any rate, they reached the very bottom of the tree without further incident, into the heart of Tret.

In a large, hollow, circular cylinder, with a flat wooden floor and no way out save by climbing a thick, leafy vine, they found Tret himself.

Carved into the far wall was a face, just like the one on the outside of the trunk. Wise, old and sleeping. As the four of them approached, Tret opened his oaken eyes, and looked at them for the first time.

"Hm, Hrrooomm! You! You hoped to find my kindly self?" Tret sneered in a maddened voice. "Fools! You should never have come here, and now, you shall never leave! You powers protected you before in the forest, but now you are in the heart of my power. Here, you will all become trees, and you'll wither with the rest of us!"

Then the evil Tret attacked. Vines whipped down at them from the ceiling and walls, attempting to lash them. Isaac was only barely able to whip out his sword and sever the vines before they struck. Luckily, for they were covered in thick thorns.

The other struggled to defend themselves. Ivan quickly slashed away a couple of thick brambles, before blasting the others away with thick bolts of lightning plasma, leaving the incinerated vines lying blackened on the ground around him.

Mia pierced several vines with shards of ice blasting from her staff, and froze over any others that came too close to her. Garet, being the slowest of them, didn't react in time, getting tangled in the sharp brambles. But he made up for it by being the most effective Psynergy user against them. Blasts of fire incinerated the thorny plants around him, then he proceeded to burn everything that came near him so thoroughly, that he didn't even need to use the axe that he now held in one hand.

Tret gave a growl of rage, and then focused more Psynergy about the room. Psynergy! So that was where he got his power. Isaac should have known.

Abruptly, the room began to shake fiercely, Tret was creating an earthquake! Isaac looked to the face of Tret in the wall. They had to stop him, and that would have to be his weak point. The earthquake made it difficult to balance, they had difficulty standing, and the vines now found it easier to reach them.

Isaac formed an earthen Psynergy shield about him to protect himself, similar to what he had learned in the town of Kolima. The others were now struggling to defend themselves against Tret's onslaught. Garet had erected a flare wall around him, while he struggled to stay on his feet. At least the fire kept he vines away from him.

Ivan had a powerful whirlwind around himself, making it impossible for the vines to reach him. But he couldn't keep it up forever, his power would drain.

Mia even now had formed a protective barrier of ice around herself, keeping her safe. But Tret's vines were slamming against it trying to make it crack. How much longer before it broke?

Isaac focused his mind on the movements of the earth caused by Tret's power. If he could counter-act it, cast a power of equal and opposite strength…

Focusing Psynergy into the earth of the tree-floor, he generated tremors of equal strength, but of a rhythm that halted its movements. With his protective barrier about him, Tret couldn't stop him, at least not for a short while. But he couldn't keep up the effort of two Psynergy spells for long.

The earth tremors subsided temporarily, enough for the others to stand steadily once again. Tret's face whipped around in its bark base to face Isaac, fury glaring in his eyes. Immediately, the vines ceased their assault on the other Adepts to attack Isaac. At the same time, Tret redoubled his efforts to destroy them with other methods. The ground shook with intensive ferocity, and Isaac had to focus all his power on preventing it to keep Tret from destroying the whole tree. Tret might not have realised, but he was focusing enough Psynergetic might into the floor to destroy himself, if Isaac relented, then they would have failed to save Kolima. He let his barrier dissipate to try and stop Tret from accidentally killing himself. Fortunately, his friends leapt to his defence. Fighting together in one group instead of separately as they had before, they were a much more effective fighting force.

Tret's vines lashed themselves at them and more grew spontaneously out of the walls from Psynergy to attack, but with Fire, Wind and Ice, the attacks were beaten off.

Meanwhile, Tret still tried to summon enough energy to overpower Isaac and unleash a terrible earthquake, just for the simple factor of defeating a human, not caring or realizing he would destroy himself.

But Isaac focused all his energy into the ground, against Tret's own, preventing any such catastrophe. Isaac's friends weren't aware of what he was doing; only that he was focusing all of his Psynergy with immense concentration into the floor, and he must know what he was doing, so they should protect him.

Finally, Tret seemed to give up and ceased what he was trying to do, and Isaac was only barely able to pull his power back in time before he unleashed a devastating blow that would have killed Tret.

Furious, Tret pulled back all his power for a more focused, more ferocious attack to destroy them. Finally allowing a break in his Psynergy channelling intensive concentration, Isaac called out to his friends, "We have to stope him! Attack the head, but don't kill him!"

Immediately, Ivan summoned a huge, powerful liquid blue-purple lightning bolt from his Shaman's Rod that slammed into Tret with great force. Tret was taken by surprise, unable to defend himself and ceasing his attempted assault upon them. Seizing the window of opportunity, Garet hurled an immense, powerful fireball like a heatwave at Tret, which incinerated all the vines that got in it's way, and slammed into Tret exploding in a powerful, fiery onslaught dealing a further heavy blow to Tret. The bark around Tret was now thoroughly blackened, and burning away still.

"Wait! You can't kill him!" Isaac shouted. He would have done something, but he was temporarily too exhausted to summon his power.

Mia heard him, though, and cast a Water Psynergy she had told them was called "Douse", which formed dozens of fat raindrops, all slamming into Tret and putting out the fire the consumed him, leaving the bark black, burnt and damp.

All at once, everything changed. Tret made no attempt to further assault them, and his energy, his aura was, at least to Isaac's sense, different. It was more… unified, less… destructive seemed to be the only way Isaac could describe it. Tret's facial expression no longer seemed the same either.

"Oh… hmm… what has happened to me?" he asked in his old, wizened deep voice. But it no longer sounded the same. It sounded somehow more kind, caring and calm. "Was I… I see… my heart was all but lost in my rage." They had reawakened his gentle side!

"And you defeated the evil within me?" he asked, looking to the four of them. Isaac nodded. "I thank you. I could not leave this world with so much evil in my heart. I am free now to leave the world without regret. Good-bye, great warriors."

Isaac began to feel the last of Tret's life-force drain away.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Garet exclaimed. "We can't let Tret die like this!"

"That's right, Isaac, we still need his help!" Ivan added.

"Wait Tret!" Isaac shouted.

"What? Why have you not left me to my dying?" Tret asked, opening his eyes again. "Do you need something?"

"Yes, the people of Kolima." Isaac reminded him. "They need your help. You turned them into trees."

"I turned the people of Kolima into trees?" Tret exclaimed, surprised. "Hroom! I must release them before they die with the forest!"

Then Tret closed his eyes, and waves of Psynergy emanated from him and out of the tree, Psynergy to change them back. If Tret would die, at least they would have saved the people of Kolima. His power was, however, thin and weak, failing.

Tret stopped his power, and heaved a deep sigh, causing the tree to shudder with him.

"I can't do it…" he admitted with a sigh. "My power no longer reaches Kolima… People of Kolima… forgive me…" Then he faded from them, his face dematerialising into the burnt bark.

"Oh no, Tret's too weak!" Garet moaned. "He doesn't have the power to save Kolima!"

"No! We have to heal him!" Mia insisted.

"Every life in Kolima depends on us!" Isaac said.

"Let's go, Isaac." Mia suggested. "We can't do anything more in here. Let's go outside and see if we can decide on something."

"This tree isn't quite dead, yet." Isaac mused, looking around. "We might be able to save it still."

"What do you mean, Isaac?" Garet inquired. "Didn't you just see Tret die?"

"Not quite, Garet." Isaac replied. "He's dying and very nearly gone, but there is still some life force in him."

"So we can still save him then?" Ivan asked hopefully.

"It's worth a try." Isaac shrugged.

x

Outside of the Tret tree, they asked Laurel what might be done to save Tret.

"Tret is dying, and we shall wither away without him. But we thank you for giving us the chance to pass away in peace." she told them.

"But there must be something that can be done to save him." Ivan pleaded. "While he's still alive, there's a chance!"

"The healing waters of Mercury Lighthouse may have saved him." she replied. "But the fountain has long since dried up." Hermes Water!

"Hermes Water is what we need." Ivan exclaimed.

"I wish we'd brought some with us!" Garet groaned.

_Herme's Water; it brings rejuvenation to all that lives._ Of course that would have helped!

"I brought a bottle of it with us." Mia told them. "Before we left, I went and filled up an empty bottle with it. I thought we might need some for our journey…" she produced from her blue pack a bottle of the sacred powerful liquid.

Quickly, they poured the water at the foot of the giant tree that was Tret. Sinking into the soil, Tret's powerful roots absorbed its nourishing power, and Isaac felt new life flow through Tret.

"I feel a great power spreading through me…" Tret slowly began, opening his eyes once more. "Hroom…. Life flows through me once again."

"Tret…" Laurel began, looking around, "As you have recovered, so has our forest…"

"I am sorry to have worried you so, Laural." Tret apologized. "And you, young ones… didn't you have a favour to ask me?"

"Yes, the people of Kolima!" Isaac reminded him. "They're still trees!"

"Yes, Tret… you must turn the people of Kolima into humans again." Laurel told him.

"Yes, that's right!" Tret remembered. "I must hurry."

A large, powerful wave of pulsating Psynergy began emitting from Tret as he closed his oaken eyes and concentrated. This was a great many times more effective than his previous attempt, and didn't fail this time.

"That should do it." Tret said as he ceased his efforts. "The people of Kolima are cursed no more."

"Tret did not always possess this horrible power." Laurel informed them.

"It only started when those strange gem stones fell from the sky." Tret explained.

"Gems from the sky…" Garet mused. "Do you think he means Psynergy Stones?" That did make sense, Isaac thought. Psynergy Stones had been blasted all over the place from Aleph.

"Yes, I think they did do this." Isaac replied.

"You really think Psynergy Stones caused all of this trouble?" Mia asked, looking around not quite fully understanding. Isaac could feel the forest slowly returning to life again.

"I was indeed angry that the people had laid waste to my forest…" Tret began. "They had even taken their axes to me!" Isaac could see where the axe strokes had cut Tret in his trunk. "Those gems fell into my branches… Then all of a sudden… my fury overwhelmed me, and I was lost in anger!"

"The gems reached me when I was filled with sorrow…" Laurel added. "Our actions spoke our hearts desires, but we had no idea…"

"Those gems twisted my anger into a force beyond my control." Tret rued.

"Have any of the saplings been transformed by those stones, Tret?" Laurel asked. Tret looked around, and then seemed to close his eyes and concentrate.

"No." he said, opening his eyes again. "Only the elder trees were affected by the falling Psynergy Stones."

"There were others that this happened to?" Garet asked, shocked.

"So the same thing could be happening elsewhere!" Ivan exclaimed.

"You must have fought many monsters on your way here." Laurel assumed.

"Yes, we did." Isaac replied.

"Those monsters…" Garet began. "Maybe they were just animals that were…" he trailed off, understanding fully the horror that Saturos and Menardi had unleashed in their quest for power.

"Once, they were pure of heart…" Tret mused. "Hroom… those gems have brought a great evil to the world…" Saturos and Menardi, and their cohorts Felix and Alex had a lot to answer for. Abruptly, Laurel closed her leafy eyes and focused her power, glowing light blue with Psynergy.

"Oh! Laurel, you were given powers, too?" Ivan asked in a surprised voice.

"Different from my own." Tret explained. "But stemming from the same source."

"Laurel! What are you doing?" Mia asked, interested.

"Wait. You will soon see." Tret assured them. Laurel's energy focus ceased.

"What did you see, Laurel?" Tret asked her when she was finished.

"It's true – even the animals have become monsters." she replied. "And beyond the river…"

"The river that feeds our forest?" Tret inquired.

"Yes…" she replied. "And evil forest had risen up to the south of the river."

"Will you be heading south across the river?" Tret asked the four Adepts.

"Yes, we have to." Isaac replied. "The people who caused this mess, that's the only way they could go. We must hurry after them; it's very important that they're stopped."

"Hroom… you seem very brave and noble, young one." Tret said deeply. "I wonder if you may be another group of heroes for this world…"

"You are the ones that set out to save Weyard from destruction, are you not?" Laurel asked.

"Yes, we all want to stop Saturos and Menardi." Isaac answered.

"Saturos… Menardi… yes, they are the ones that took the four Stars from Sol Sanctum…" Laurel mused. "They wish to release Alchemy. They will release power and destruction upon the world, I fear."

"That's why we have to stop them!" Garet declared. "Everything depends on us!"

"Hroom… you remind me so much… of the noble Adepts of old" Tret mused. "So long ago, in the Lost Age of Man… when Psynergy users were kind and pure of heart… before power corrupted them. I remember during that horrible war, such heroes as yourselves rested in my forest while they attempted to save the world from itself. I wonder if you are they reborn…"

Heroes reborn? Isaac had never thought of it like that.

"No, we're just Adepts caught up in dangerous times." Ivan replied modestly.

"Hmm… but you seem very strong and heroic." Tret replied. "I believe much depends upon you. I remember when the world had Alchemy, and the Elements were full of life… now that time is gone and world does not seem they way it once was… perhaps you may bring about another Golden Age of Weyard."

"Yes, I agree." Laurel said. "The world is not they way it once was, since Alchemy was sealed away, and the last heroes saved Weyard. But an evil force stirs once more, and I suspect that you may save the world… I feel it in the Earth…"

"Thank you." Isaac replied a little sheepishly.

"But now, you must go south." Laurel informed them. "To the dangerous Mogall Forest."

"That area will only grow more dangerous as time passes…" Tret warned gravely. "If you must go, you'd better hurry. I owe you a great debt. You have saved Kolima, the forest and me."

"May your roots dig deep and your branches reach high." Laurel farewelled them. The Adepts said good-bye, and then turned to leave Kolima Forest.

X

**A/N **That's that! Um… what should I put here? … I dunno, so just review, please?


	13. Fuchin Temple

**A/N: **Well, we're back once again! Sorry this chap took so long, it would have been up much earlier, but some serious editing had to be done to it, before it was good to go, so yeah. But I'll talk about that later. First of all, to those looking for a review reply…

**Unclever Title: **Heh, not sure what happened with that whole glitch thing. I'm trying to fix the problem. Glad you got that email I sent you. Anyhoo, thanx for the review!

… Problem is being fixed. Should all work now… I hope.

**Trixie's Girl:** Glad you liked it. That Sol Sanctum thing was just about forcing them to submit and stuff. Heh, well, thanx for the review.

**Spirit Seer: **Glad you liked it! Heh, I think I'm slowly witling down the number of typos I put in. Not sure about that whole jinxing thing, never been my area of expertise… well, thanx for reviewing as usual!

**Kd7sov: **Thank you! I thought that whole 'sensing the forests power' would be kind of appropriate. Not sure about the reborn heroes idea. We'll have to see. To be honest, I have not idea where I'm taking it. It's just something that occurred to me during writing, but I do like it. It seems kind of appropriate that they be reborn heroes, y'know? We'll see what happens, eh? There's more of that stuff in this chapter too. Hope you like it!

**Spirit Icana: **Thanx for the friendly advice. I'll try and keep it in mind. I must admit, after playing scenes in the game, my mind sort of leans its writing style towards that kind of dialogue, but I'm trying to steer away from it. I think I did an alright job in this one, but it could have been a touch better in some parts, mayhap. Anyway, I'll keep on trying to improve as I always am. Thank you for reviewing.

**Corycian Muse: **Heh, glad you liked it all. The chapter wasn't actually my favourite to write, but at least it turned out all right. Yeah, I put a touch more depth into it than the game did, mostly because I had some cool ideas for it. Not quite a travelling chap this one, but the next couple will be. As usual, appreciate your reviews!

**Spastic Djinn: **You flushed it down the toilet! Tsk tsk, such sinful blasphemy… repent thy sins, lest I strike thee down, hence where ye stand! Or something like that, lol. Wow, I sure do put a lot of words in, don't I? Not sure how I do it, I just write events down, filling them with as much wordy goodness as possible. Man, just imagine how long this will be when it's finished… my apologies about Isaac killing plants. No vegetation was harmed in the making of this story, except for the acres of rainforest slaughtered to make the pages upon which I write it all down before typing it up. Don't tell Greenpeace, please? And tell Ivan I look forward to seeing more of VoldyIvan. And yes, that is a hint.

**Sorceress Sakura: **Thank you! Here's your next chapter, hope you like it!

**Lifeform 0:** Thanx! I forgot something? Oh well. I'll fix it up if I ever get around to it.

**GoldenSunGeek:** Yeah, I liked that idea of Tret being around for ages too. It just seemed… appropriate. He seemed like that kind of being, that's been around since time began. At least, that's what I thought. As usual, thank you for reviewing!

Okie dokie, lets get this show on the road. Now, I must tell you, this is done a little bit differently to what the game did. That's really why this took so long to update, because I spent so much time re-editing and writing certain scenes. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't. But read and see what you think. Oh yeah, and that disclaimer thing… well, you all know by now, I'm sure, so let's just skip and get down to business, eh?

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**FUCHIN TEMPLE**

As they left Kolima Forest, Isaac was aware of the increased life and vitality of the place, the aura of peace and contentment. Kolima Forest was itself again. They found no more monsters amidst the tall trees. It seemed that Tret's recovery had scared them off.

Despite their exhaustion, Isaac set a hard pace, determined to make up for lost time. They made camp at the edge of the forest, resting from the day's exhaustion. By the time they reached the town of Kolima the next day, they were back to their old selves.

The people of Kolima were indeed human again, and quietly grateful for it. It seemed they had all learned from their mistake, and were now refusing to cut down trees for Bilibin again. The woodcutters of Kolima had vowed never to so much as enter the sacred forest again. Peace was upon them. Some people made jokes about wanting to turn over a new leaf after the incident, while others said they wanted to make like a tree and leaf, but most considered such jokes to be in bad taste.

The warriors who had first gone to challenge Tret were now in Kolima Inn, laughing, joking and swapping tales of their plight as trees with one another. Fortunately, none recognised them. In fact, none of the townspeople were aware that they were the kids with the strange powers, a fact that Isaac was grateful for. They could have gone to Bilibin to get Lord McCoy's reward, but aside from not wanting it anyway, they had to race after Saturos's group.

They left Kolima, not receiving any thanks or rewards or even having anyone aware of their exploits and acknowledging it.

The next three or four days following the path along the river chasing after Saturos and Menardi were for the most part, uneventful. They were within half days walk to the ocean on the east that they had always wanted to see and Kraden had wanted to show them at one point. Garet had suggested they detour to see it and Isaac was tempted to see this legendary, supposedly endless body of water, but he couldn't allow it. There was no time. Jenna, Kraden and the Elemental Stars came first.

Both Mia and Ivan assured them that the ocean was not all that spectacular and they could afford to miss out on it anyway. Isaac and Garet found that hard to believe, that something so seemingly impossible could be so ordinary.

But aside from that, the trip was fairly mundane. They came across a few lone monsters, but they were easily despatched with their powers. Since the battle with Tret, and indeed, every battle beforehand, they were feeling much stronger and more skilled. They were now so powerful, that anyone of them could crush these creatures with hardly an effort. Most of the monsters didn't even hang around long enough for that. Isaac did feel a bit bad about killing some of them now; knowing that some of them were just innocent creatures, but there was nothing for it.

This horror had been unleashed by Saturos and Menardi, but it was just another line on the long list of crimes they'd committed that they would need to be made to answer for. He intended to ensure they were made to pay, if he had to.

Some time during the fourth day, they came across a drawbridge that was the only way across the river. The bridge was currently pulled up, but a young Kolima man was on the other side waiting to lower it. As they reached the other side, Isaac and Ivan went to talk to the guard to see if Saturos's party had passed him, and if so, when.

As it turned out, he had seen them go past, three whole days before them! They were way behind! The man had still been a tree at the time, but he hadn't actually told them that. Only Ivan's Mind Read was able to reveal it for them. Only understandable, of course, any other traveller probably would have thought him mad if he had mentioned anything like that. Leaving the ignorant Koliman behind them, they pressed forward on their quest, hurrying even faster. By the days end, they had covered much space and were approximately only a day away from Mogall Prairie, as Isaac told his companions over their dinner campfire that night.

"Say, what exactly _is_ a prairie, anyhow?" Garet asked around a mouthful of stew, causing both Mia and Isaac to sigh at his ignorance. Only Ivan seemed unbothered by it.

"A prairie is an extensive tract of grassy land that is generally lacking of trees." The small Wind Adept patiently explained.

"And, according to the map, it'll take us a good couple of days to cross it and reach the next town of Xian." Isaac noted, looking down at the unfurled roll of parchment in front of him. "Although we may encounter that evil forest that Tret told us about."

Why was it so far away between these two towns? Why were there so few towns along the west of Angara? Heck, why were there so few towns in Angara, full stop? On the entire continent, including the north coast of Gondowan, there were only fourteen towns, cities and villages all together. Civilisation seemed to be dying, the population dwindling. Things wouldn't get any better if Saturos and Menardi go what they wanted…

"Almost a whole week and a half of walking?" Mia groaned. "I don't like the idea of walking so far without a proper bed to rest in and a decent meal."

"Don't worry," Isaac reassured her, "According to the map, there's some place called 'Fuchin Temple' along the way, just north of the Mogall Prairie. That's just one days walk from here! I'm not sure what sort of place it'll be like, but hopefully they will give us beds to rest in for the night." Mia smiled at the news of this.

"I've heard of Fuchin Temple." Ivan informed them. "It's a spiritual hideaway built by monks deliberately in an out of the way part of the world. I'm not sure what it is they do there, something about inner peace and spiritual enlightenment, but they sound like a friendly lot. They should welcome travellers."

"Haven't you ever been there, Ivan?" Garet asked, "You seem to have visited most other places in Angara." Ivan shook his head.

"I've only ever visited place with Master Hammet on business trips. Monks apparently aren't much interested in purchasing trade goods from merchants."

"Well, we'll see what happens when we get there tomorrow morning." Isaac suggested.

X

After hours of uneventful walking the next day, they finally reached Fuchin Temple. Fuchin was not, in fact, a single temple, but a small group of tightly clustered together buildings, up against a gentle slope of a large hill, with a small waterfall next to it, trailing off into a large stream flowing peacefully away from it.

The buildings were not of an architecture or design that any of them had seen before, save Ivan, who described them as "Far Eastern" in construct. They were rather simple looking, with elaborate paintings on the walls and finely detailed, intricate roofs that went up in layers to a final, uppermost point. There were no roads or paths in between them, simply feet trodden dirt paths worn in over time. A few people were casually milling about the place, some walking about in bare feet, others standing, gazing blissfully at the serene water, while others were sitting cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed in deep meditation.

They all wore simple robes; most had shaven heads, while almost none of them wore any form of footwear. The atmosphere of the Temple was indeed one of idyllic peace, calm, beautiful solitude, as though the troubles of the outside world were not enough to bother any of them. Nobody seemed surprised or even interested in the arrival of travellers and few seemed to give them more than a passing glance.

Isaac asked a few of the locals, whom he took to be monks, where they might go to find out about receiving accommodation for the night. They all directed him to see Master Nyunpa, in the uppermost, largest monastery. But a few of them were curious enough to ask them some questions once they were talking.

"Is the bridge north open, now?" asked one man who turned out not to be a monk at all. When Isaac told him that it was, that was where the came from, the man then asked, "So does that mean that the curse is gone from Kolima?" Isaac told him that it was, and the man then left, announcing that he was heading home.

"You should not dwell in this place long." Another monk warned them in an odd accent. "We have seen omens of disaster. Blue lights in the north, gems falling from the sky and a forest growing in the south. These omens are described in our oldest scrolls."

"What disaster?" Isaac asked. "What disaster do the omens predict?"

"The end of the world." The monk replied gravely, and then left them.

The last monk they asked told them precisely where to find this "Master Nyunpa", but then also told them more. "Master Nyunpa is fasting for us." He explained. "By freeing oneself of worldly concerns, one can focus one's mind on intense spiritual mattes. He prays for our salvation. The omens that we have seen lately have all spoken of imminent doom. Blue lights flashing north, strange, powerful gems falling from the sky and a dark forest growing to the south… all omens…"

When they at last reached Nyunpa's monastery, Isaac's heart was feeling gloomy. Those omens the monks spoke off… the Mercury Lighthouse beacon, Psynergy Stones from the Mount Aleph eruption and that evil forest that Tret and Laurel had warned them about. They all seemed assured that this truly meant the end of the world was approaching. Obviously, they were referring to the possible release of Alchemy by Saturos' party. But if these omens were all truly prophecies of what would be coming to pass, was it all really in vain? Were Saturos and Menardi really destined to succeed? Maybe he should talk to Master Nyunpa about more than just a night's accommodation, Isaac thought.

There was no one guarding the red enamelled double doors, so Isaac and the others just stepped right in. Inside, the room was lit by several candles placed about evenly, and the air smelled of incense. At the back of the room was a table, covered in various scrolls, vases, parchments, jewels, artefacts and herbs.

In the centre of the room, on the floor, was emblazoned a symbol of a circle divided by a sinuous line, one half midnight black, the other half pearly white. Just on the far side of this sat an elderly man cross legged, on a red velvet cushion with his hands folded at his waist and eyes close in deep meditation.

Nyunpa was a very old man, even older than Kraden, or the Great Elder of Vale. Unlike the other monks, his scalp was not shaven, but his hair was bound atop his head in wispy white strands, and a thin white beard grew around his mouth. He wore an elaborate robe.

As they entered, he gave no indication that he was aware of their presence. In fact, he made no movement at all, he was still enough to have been a statue. Only the ever so slight rising of his chest as he breathed gave any indication that he was even alive.

"Excuse me, Master Nyunpa May we have a word with you?" Isaac asked the old monk. Nyunpa gave no reply, no movement, not a flicker of awareness.

"Master Nyunpa, we are travellers from far away, and we seek rest." Ivan said to the silent man. Again, Nyunpa didn't respond.

"Master Nyunpa, we know about the omens of disaster, but we believe that the world can still be saved." Mia offered. Again, Nyunpa was a still and silent as a statue.

"Hey! Nyunpa!" Gare called out loudly. "Weyard to Nyunpa! We're talking to you! Lights on, anyone home? Can you hear us?" He waved his hand up and down in front of the meditating man's face. No response. They may as well have not even been there for all the reaction he showed.

"Oh, I give up!" Garet sighed, exasperated. "Let's leave and see if there's some other place we can stay!" Isaac sighed. It didn't seem they would get any response from Master Nyunpa. But Ivan had an idea, such a simple idea, that Isaac wondered why he didn't think of it first. He used Mind Read.

As Ivan focused his mind, and began to glow light blue to the Adepts eyes as he summoned up the power of his Jupiter Psynergy from within himself, Isaac placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulder, somehow linking their Psynergy so that Isaac would hear Nyunpa's thoughts inside his head along with Ivan.

Ivan's power reached out and touched Nyunpa's head, and the sound of the monk's thoughts burst into Isaac's head.

_Who is this that enters my mind?_

Both Isaac and Ivan stepped back in shock, and Ivan broke off his Mind Read, lost all the concentration necessary for Psynergy.

Nyunpa opened his eyes and calmly got to his feet, then looked to Ivan with a knowing look in his eye.

"Hey, you finally got through to him!" Garet said.

"Young master…" he asked the small Wind Adept. "Was that not you I felt within my mind?"

"Yes, that was me." Ivan said softly, looking down to his feet as though ashamed. Nyunpa looked to Isaac.

"You follow them, do you not?" the monk asked the Earth Adept calmly. "The ones who made the gems fall from the sky and blue lights dance in the north?"

"Saturos and Menardi, you mean?" Isaac asked. Nyunpa looked at him as though to say, 'Of course, who else?' "Yes, we do."

"Ah, but of course." Nyunpa calmly said in an old voice with a thin smile, which then faded as he gazed past them to the south. "But, as I am sure you are already aware, you must go through Mogall Forest, the endless woods." Mogall Forest? Was that the one Tret had referred to? Was it growing where the Mogall Prairie should be?

"What exactly is Mogall Forest?" Mia asked curiously.

"The forest itself is a mystery," the old monk explained, "and its paths even more so… no ordinary man can pass from one side to the other. But perhaps I could, young master." He looked to Isaac, looking straight into his eyes, and sighed, his aged body heaving. "I will teach you how to pass this forest." He gestured to the floor in front of him. "Please, have a seat, and let us speak." There was no actual 'seat' to speak of, so Isaac and the others sat on the smooth floor before Nyunpa, like pupils before their master. Nyunpa sat down on his purple velvet pillow, and regarded them with wise, old eyes.

"I am glad that you have finally come, young Isaac."

_I never told him my name…_

He looked to Nyunpa with shock, who in turn looked at Ivan with a knowing smile.

"Just remember," the old monk told the group mind reader, "you are not the only one who can read minds."

"Are you an Adept, then?" Ivan asked curiously. "Another Wind Adept?"

Nyunpa shook his head. "No, my young friend. Although, there is another monk, far off…" he paused, seeming to consider what he was about to say, then thought better of it. "No, that is not a matter of discussion for now. We must speak of other matters."

"Like our quest." Isaac offered. "Am I right?" Nyunpa nodded.

"Wait a second!" Garet raised a hand to motion them to stop. "If you're not an Adept, then how can you read minds? And how did you know we were coming? I thought only Jupiter Adepts could learn to foresee the future. At least, that's what Kraden taught me."

Nyunpa's smile became cryptic. "There are other powers than Psynergy. You focus your minds to summon your power. We seek enlightenment to find and harness our own spirit energy… our Ki."

"What's Ki?" Isaac asked out of curiosity.

"That is not important." Nyunpa said dismissively. "It is the power of the spirit, not a magical power as such, just a dormant power that takes many years of meditation and enlightenment to control. But for now, we must speak of your quest."

"You know about our quest?" Isaac asked in disbelief.

"Of course. It has been foretold to us for many years by our oldest omens and scriptures, from our founding father, Master Fuchin."

Ivan seemed interested by this. "What sort of omens and prophecies are these?"

Nyunpa sighed deeply, and gazed through them wistfully, thinking back to times long gone. "A thousand years ago, when men waged great wars across the land with the power of Alchemy, destroying civilization itself with their Psynergy, there existed a small group of Adepts who wished to end the war. I am sure you know of this story."

"They were the ones who sealed away Alchemy, right?" Mia guessed. "My Clan teacher told us about them."

"Indeed, they are the ones. But not all of them could fight that battle. When the war was over, a wise man who, it's said, could foresee all that was and will be, founded this temple, and passed his teachings onto his disciples."

"Master Fuchin." A voice next to Isaac said.

"That's right, Ivan." Nyunpa resumed his lost gaze. "His way of peace, and power through enlightenment in a time when Psynergy was fading allowed many to find Ki. Not a power one uses to fight or do magical things with. An understanding with oneself and their place in the world allows one to attain inner contentment and achieve the things they desire in life.

"He foresaw that a time would come again when the world may once again fight a desperate battle between good and evil, and Alchemy would be at the centre of it all. He knew that certain omens of doom would signal the dawn of this new era."

The monk cleared his throat, and began reciting. " 'When the kingdoms and nations of men are falling, when it seems the world itself is dying, there shall be a great eruption of fire in the sacred mountain. Magic gems shall rain from the sky, and unnatural things shall walk the earth. Evil forests shall grow, while blue lights dance in the north. The time of reckoning shall be at hand, as the two quests set forward, both working to save and destroy the world.' There is more, but I am sure that you understand."

"Wow, he actually predicted all of that?" Garet gave an impressed whistle. "That's pretty accurate."

"He said that _both_ quests would work to save _and _destroy the world?" Isaac sounded flabbergasted. "How can that be? That doesn't make sense! _We're_ trying to save the world, and _they're_ trying to destroy it!"

Nyunpa gave him a sympathetic look, like a teacher that sees a student unable to grasp a simple concept. "Things are not always as we would see them, or wish to perceive them. Sometimes what is good and what is evil is unclear. And sometimes, what we think may happen may instead happen another way. Do not be so quick to _know_ how certain things shall happen, instead, try to understand and think on how things _might_ be."

Isaac looked at the floor, thinking on that comment. "I don't understand."

"We do not always." The master said consolingly.

There was a moment's silence, which Ivan finally broke. "So, did Saturos' party stop here?"

"Yes, they did."

"Did you try and stop them?" Garet asked. Nyunpa shook his head.

"No, for it is not needed. Victory is not always achieved through fighting."

"I don't think anyone here would be a match for them anyway, Garet." Ivan pointed out. "Saturos and Menardi _are_ pretty powerful."

"Yeah, that's a good point."

"Deciding the fate of the world is for you." Nyunpa looked Isaac in the eye. "But you shall not do so yet. In time, when you have discovered the true power within yourself, and have proven your worth, then shall you face your true foe, though he is not who you think he is. You honour your quest that is given to you, but the time shall come when you must betray what you think is sacred, and be prepared to change your goals. I pray that you keep an open mind when this time comes, for else all shall be lost." The old monk took a deep breath as he finished reciting. "This is a message passed down from Master Fuchin; that I might one day give it to you, Isaac."

"He predicted all this a thousand years ago?" Isaac asked in disbelief. "He even had a message for me!"

Nyunpa nodded. "Foresight and prophecy are given, so that we may know what must be done when the time comes."

"Hmm… interesting." Isaac stroked his chin thoughtfully, as he considered this. "But… I don't understand most of it. I mean, that message that he gave me… I don't understand what he meant for me."

"You shall some day." Nyunpa told him in full certainty. "But the time of understanding is not now. When the time comes, you shall understand, and fulfil what has been prophesised… but not now."

Master Nyunpa then turned to Garet. "He is not the only one whom I have a message for. You also, Garet of Vale, need listen to what Fuchin has to tell you."

"Uh… okay then."

"You fight your quest, and hate your enemies, and will not stop till you have succeeded. But the one who betrayed you will one day be your ally, and you must be prepared to forgive him, so that you might stand together in time for that last battle. Though you fight to prevent what he does, you must come to know that sometimes, in order to succeed, you must fail at what has been set down before you."

Garet looked at him in complete confusion. "What in the world does _that_ mean!"

Nyunpa shrugged. "Understanding is for you to discover when the time comes." He then looked at Ivan.

"Young reader of minds, Fuchin wished for you to know this. 'Those you care about must be sacrificed in time if you are to defeat your enemies. Though you think you are all alone, you shall in time come to find that you have family, but you must be prepared to put sentimentality aside if you are to achieve victory.'"

"Does this have to do with Master Hammet?" the Wind Adept asked him, and urgent need to know in his voice.

"This has to do with more than one, and understanding shall only be granted when the time is right." Ivan nodded glumly in acceptance.

"And you, healer of the north, the last message is for you." Mia looked at him eagerly. "Though you are loyal and honourable to your clan, and hold bitterness in your heart to the one who betrayed it, you must in time be willing to do the same, and cast aside that which you held to be true if you are to save all. Forgive your traitor, for you shall one day be like him, and make the same choice he did. Forgive him, for what he did is not truly evil; but beware of him, for his treachery runs deeper than you know."

"You talking about Alex aren't you?" her blue eyes were filled with interest.

"The one who was with the group you follow? Yes."

"What else can you tell me?" she begged. "Please, I must know!"

"I can say no more, for I know no else." Mia sighed in disappointment, and looked to the floor despondently. What he had told them was confusing, and seemed darkly foreboding.

"Do not worry, young Isaac." Nyunpa said in a soft, grandfatherly voice. "Your path before you now is clear. Do not walk of it, and work to fulfil the quest you were given."

"But… what about that stuff you said?"

"What the time comes, you shall know it, and understand then. Until then, do not question your destiny." Isaac nodded in false understanding.

"Okay, I can do that."

"Your journey shall take you through the evil forest to the south, and though your enemies shall pass unaided, you shall surely fail if the item that has long waited for you is not within your hands." Isaac looked up at him curiously.

"That's right; you said you would show us how to pass. How?"

"Wait but a moment." Master Nyunpa stood up from his pillow, his old body surprisingly not at all stiff, and gracefully strode to the desk at the back of the room. There, he picked up a small, artistically carved wooden box and brought it back, holding it out to Isaac as he sat down again. Isaac carefully took the box he was offered. It was not heavy, but he could feel the power of the object inside. Its aura reminded him slightly of his mother's Catch Beads, which hung about his neck, under his yellow scarf.

"What is it?" he asked without opening the box.

"Come on, Isaac, just open it!" Garet urged, and Ivan and Mia both shushed him.

"It is yours." Nyunpa answered simply. "Your key through the forest. Take it, and I shall teach you how to use it." Isaac slowly opened the box. Inside, resting on a soft cloth that looked quite new, was a smooth, perfectly spherical orb; a red so dark as to be almost black.

"It is what you would call a 'Psynergy Item'." Nyunpa explained. "Channel your Psynergy through it, and it shall release a great force."

Isaac looked up at the old monk. "You mean I use it in the same way as the Catch Beads?"

Nyunpa nodded. "Try it."

"Yeah, come on Isaac, I want to see how it works!" Garet said, sounding just like a small boy.

"Okay." The Earth Adept stood up, and looked to the door that they'd come through. Holding the mysterious orb before him, he focused his Psynergy, passing it through the orb. It began to glow, then and invisible force _leapt_ out of it, and flew through the air with great speed, slamming the doors open with such great force, that they seemed to nearly tear of their hinges.

"Wow! That's going to be fun to use!" Garet said in a tone of deep admiration. "Let me try next!"

"Maybe later." Isaac answered, not looking at the Fire Adept. Outside, the monk who had been sitting before the entrance got up with no evidence of shock or surprise, and calmly shut the doors again as though this was nothing unusual. Maybe for him it wasn't.

Isaac looked back to Master Nyunpa, who had now stood up and was smiling in deep satisfaction. "Excellent, Isaac! I am glad to see you master the secrets of Fuchin Temple! This is the power that we monks called Ki, although it can be summoned with Psynergy as well, in this case."

Ki? The power of Ki? An orb of… Ki?

"You seem confused, Isaac." Nyunpa noted.

"Well… yes, I am." Isaac turned the orb over in his hands, inspecting it carefully.

"You possess great wisdom for one so young, but I feel I must explain this." Nyunpa told him kindly. "This is called 'force' by the western world, but it is really a spiritual power. I have taught you, as I promised. Use this power to go through the forest."

"Go through the forest?" Isaac asked quizzically, looking up from the ball. He passed it on to Garet, who wanted to have a look at it. "How?"

"What would happen if you would let loose this energy in the forest?" the monk asked, then laughed. "You are curious, are you not?"

"Of course we are!" Garet called out from his inspection of the orb. "Hurry up and tell us."

"Garet! Show some respect!" Mia scolded. Nyunpa seemed to ignore this, however and went on.

"Monsters that wait in hiding would show themselves. They hide in the trees, and can be flushed out with this power. And what would you do when they revealed themselves? Would you not try to defeat them?"

"Of course we would!" Garet exclaimed, provoking a sigh from the old man.

"Sometimes, you must let go of your belief that fighting solves problems…"

"I don't really want to fight anything unless I have to." Isaac told him. Warrior he may have become on this quest, it wasn't something that he had desired in life.

"That is very wise of you." Nyunpa said in a pleased tone. "There is no good in wanton destruction. The monsters in this forest are cowardly. When they are forced to reveal themselves, they will run once away, seeking escape. As they are creatures of the woods… so they do not get lost there."

"Oh, I get it!" Ivan realized. "We just follow these monsters to get through the forest quickly without getting lost!"

Nyunpa nodded. "Use this energy to find the monsters, then follow them. They will unintentionally show you the way out. That is the way of your path that has been laid out before you by fate."

"Thank you for giving us this gift." Mia told him politely.

"Now that I have passed my knowledge of Ki along… I am without worries." Nyunpa replied, sitting down once more to meditate. "Farewell, Isaac. Take care of yourself…"

"What are you going to do, now?" Isaac asked.

"I shall meditate, and fast. As I seek enlightenment, I shall pray for your journey, and also that of another. Go now, continue your quest and fulfil your destiny. Remember what I have told you."

"Thank you." Isaac replied. "We will." They said their farewells, and parted.

X

The next day, after leaving Fuchin Temple, Isaac and the others were walking south, towards the forest. Isaac found himself deep in thought, contemplating what Nyunpa had told him, the message from Master Fuchin given a thousand years ago for him to hear. He tried to puzzle it out, to understand it and grasp its meaning.

But he couldn't. No matter how he looked at it, he just didn't understand how it could make sense. How did he know? Was this whole quest really predestined? But what did this thousand year old message mean for him?

He recalled how the Wise One once said that he may yet be a reincarnation of a previous hero, and Tret had mused that he seemed like one. Was he really a hero reborn? Reincarnated to save the world once more from Alchemy? It was certainly a matter for some deep thought, and he was not normally one to think on such things.

"Hey, Isaac, why are you so quiet?" Garet asked from beside him, shattering his thoughts. Garet, it seemed, was not at all concerned about what he had been told. At least, not for now, Isaac thought.

"Oh, nothing." He replied casually, kicking at a stone that had the misfortune to be lying in his path. "Just thinking."

**A/N: **So there we have it. All done. Did'ja like it? Yay? Nay? If I may take a moment to speak, I would just like to say WHY I changed things as I did. You see, writing all that waterfall grotto stuff just didn't come out as very interesting. When I read it, I thought BORING! So I deleted, edited and rewrote to bring you this. Mayhap, you'll like that change, and think it appropriate. Mayhap, you'll think it would have been better the games way. Or maybe, like me, you'll just think that it was something different, and appreciate it for that. 'course, I won't know if you don't tell me, and one way you can tell me, the same way you can direct all questions, critiques suggestions and praise, is… well, you all know, don't ya? Little button's down there, I look forward to hearing form each and every one of you.


	14. The Prairie Forest

**A/N:** Welcome, friends, Romans, countrymen and fellow authors, to another exciting chapter of… dun da da da dun… Golden Sun! (cue cheesy theme music) Well, this was a slightly quicker update than last time, wasn't it? At least, I think it was… too lazy to check though, so I'll just say that it is. This chapter is slightly shorter than others, it seems, but oh well. There's only so much you can write about walking in the forest, I guess.

Well, in other news, I guess celebrations are in order now, so break out the champagne- I NOW HAVE OVER 100 REVIEWS! WOOT! Well, good enough reason to celebrate, I thought. Still, keep em coming people; you now I love reviews, give me all your thoughts and comments! Be they good, bad, constructive criticism or what have you, if you have something you wanna say, then I wanna hear it! Flamers need not bother, of course. Okay, I thought that was cool, anyway, I feel so special and loved. Thank you everyone, your continued support helps this thing continue to be written, so don't let me or the fic down!

Anyway, speaking of reviews, I guess some replies are in order, ne?

**Unclever title: **Heh, yeah I like that testing idea to, and would have incorporated it, but… guess I was feeling uninspired that day I tried writing it the games way, (shrugs). Oh well. The puzzles and things are good, true, but it can sometimes be hard to write them from an interesting angle. But no matter, the main thing is the big storyline, right? Well, hope you liked it anyway. Yes, I also agree with you on the three dot thing… Ah well, you may be going, but I hope you'll also be coming. As in back. Thanx for reviewing!

**ElementalSpirit1: **Glad you liked it. I am definitely going all the way up to the end of this game, I can promise you that, but as for the doom dragon… well, I'd like to, 'tis my intention, but I won't promise anything just yet as it is still too early. But if I can, I will.

**Arsenal: **Thank you! Yeah, it has become incredibly long, just imagine when its finished! Yeah, I like a lot of detail, I can't help it (a habit probably learned from Robert Jordan). As for the class thing, to be quite honest I honestly hadn't thought about it! But now that I do, well… most of their abilities are generally being derived from the ones that they would have possessed had they had only the Djinn of their element (ie, Isaac all Venus Djinn, etc), because that's how I usually had it in the game, so I'm more familiar with that move list. So… I'm sorta removing the classes, by default of the Djinn, but… yeah. Hope that's answer enough for ya!

**Corycian Muse: **Ahh, my favourite muse who, ironically enough, isn't actually my muse at all. My favourite nonw-muse Muse. Bah, never mind me, I'm just trying to be smart. Heh, glad this part was good, (been ages since I played the games too, would you believe it) so yeah, that's good. I'm trying to write this so that even someone whose never played the game can enjoy it… hopefully. Not sure how much I'm succeeding (seeing as I have no means to measure that success) but oh well. I understand that whole lack of words thing, I get it too, but so long as I know you're happy, and I'm seeing your name on my list, then I'm happy! And get on MSN sometime, we simply must talk! (SpasticDjinn has said the most charming things about you!)

**Spirit Seer: **Ahh, glad it's well written enough for you. As I often say, good enough is good enough. Yeah, I agree with you on the whole travelling thing, its weird how they can do that, so I'm trying to incorporate the sense that they can't just do all the side quests, but I'll include what I can, where I can, if it works. Oh yeah, change their thoughts, hopefully plant the seed that will eventually turn Isaac the TLA. Well, hope you continue to enjoy this!

**Spastic Djinn: **Well, if it isn't you, my fave Djinn! I might hold back thy judgement on ye, if ye doth spread thy sacred word of thy Golden Sun to thy people… or something like that. Anyway, hope this was quick enough. PS: It will please you to know that Operation Snow Cow has begun. I'll fax you the relevant paperwork to fill out.

**Sorceress Sakura: **That's all right, I don't mind the demand for quicker updates. The way I look at it, if people are eager to continue with this, then I must be doing something right! I'll try and keep em comin for ya!

**GoldenSunGeek:** Hey, good to see you! (or read, however you look at it) Thank you, glad you enjoyed the changes (seems most people did) and hopefully you'll like whatever ones will be yet to come (I have a couple in the mind that will be revealed in due time). Thanx for wishing me luck, I think it helped! You're up to here right now? Wow, that is freaky… strange twists in the cosmos of fate… or something.

**Unicornmaddy: **Thank you! Hope you like this one, too!

**Disclaimer: **Blah blah blah, yak yak yak, I wonder if anyone will even bother to read this?

Okay, then. You know, its funny, but I don't think I've ever read anything concerning Mogall Forest, have you? Maybe I'm just missing out, but I've not personally read any fics narrating anything inside this place. It's a bit like the Lamakan Desert; it's a part of Weyard that is always just simply ignored. Weird, huh? So, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first Mogall Forest focused thing written… well, probably not, I'm sure someone out there has done it, but I just haven't found it.

I'm not sure how much I like this chapter; it doesn't seem quite as good as normal. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, wouldn't be the first time, and I often don't like stuff of mine that others say is great. So what they hey, if it's good, then great, if not, well then I guess I was just feeling uninspired. Or pessimistic. Or both. Or maybe I'm just rambling now. So I'll shut up and let you read on.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**THE PRAIRIE FOREST**

Standing at the edge of what used to be the Mogall Prairie, Isaac stared into the deep, dark forest. Mogall Forest. Rained upon by Psynergy Stones, Venus Psynergy had warped the land, making this large, thick forest grow. And done the gods only knew what to the animals, now monsters.

There was an old, weather worn wooden sign beside the path, just at the edge of the forest. It read:

_North: Fuchin temple _

_South: Mogall Prairie._

There was no prairie anymore, it had been overgrown by this forest.

The four Adepts stepped in cautiously. Nyunpa may have given them something that would help them to get through the forest quickly, without getting lost, but it wouldn't protect them form the things that _would_ attack.

Isaac thought about their journey in his head. Saturos' party was now three and a half days to four days ahead of them, due to the Kolima Forest and Fuchin Temple detours. But they hadn't been taught how to find their way through these paths like they had. That would slow them down considerably; they might not even make it through. There seemed no chance of just finding them in the middle of the forest, they could pass within not even shouting distance and not see each other, these trees were so thick. Still, with any luck, they would run into them not long after leaving if they were lucky. With this Orb of Force, as they'd come to call it, they could pass through in a minimum of time, while Saturos' party struggled and wasted time, trying to find a way through.

They passed a few trees and found a small area of less thick growth where a large ape with rough hair was sitting on the ground, picking for worms. Making a lot of noise as they entered, they startled the creature, which shrieked with surprise, and leapt away from them, jumping and hiding into a hollowed out tree stump.

It was a large, thick stump, wide enough for the ape to hide in it's hollowed out trunk. And it was tall enough that no human could leap or climb up it. It seemed the perfect opportunity to try out their new item. Of course, he could have used some sort of Psynergy upon the bark, or have Garet flush it out with fire, or Ivan and Mia do something, but they were to likely to injure the creature.

It turned out that the Orb of Force was really just a Psynergy item, very similar to Isaac's Catch Beads, which just unleashed a special power from it when they channelled Psynergy into it. It worked the same for any Adept, regardless of element or strength. Whereas Isaac's Catch Beads unleashed a power called "Catch", which could seize small, light objects from a distance and bring it back to the wielder (something they'd found handy for grabbing fruit and nuts from trees) the Orb of Force unleashed what they called "Force". "Force" was a powerful Psynergetic push, like getting punched by an invisible power, and it would help disturb creatures of the woods without injury, so that they could follow them when they ran. Supposedly, they would show them the way out, at least according to Nyunpa.

Isaac grasped the Orb of Force in hand, and focused is Psynergy into it, forming the power it held in his opposite hand. He unleashed a blast of "Force" at the tree trunk, hitting it with the Psynergetic power it unleashed, causing the trunk to shudder and creak.

Shaken by the shock it felt, the ape leaped out in fright and bounded into the forest, away from them. And towards the exit.

"Quick! Follow it!" Isaac shouted, racing after it. The others followed as they crashed through the forest, leaping over tree roots and ducking under branches, getting twigs and leaves caught in their hair. They followed the creature for some distance before it climbed up a larger, taller tree and took itself out of their pursuit.

"Great! We lost it!" Garet muttered to himself.

"We'll just have to look for another, I guess." Ivan said. They made their way slowly through the forest, keeping a wary eye out for something they could follow out there. They encountered several other apes amidst the forest, some hiding behind large trunks, others up in branches, in bushes or in other hollowed out stumps, similar to the first one that they'd encountered. And each time that they'd used Force to disturb them and brink them out of hiding, they followed them deeper into Mogall, but always eventually losing them.

Sometimes, they would just climb up a random tree and disappear into the heights, others found ways of squeezing in between two trees, and by the time they'd got past, the apes were long gone. Some just seemed to vanish into thin air, one minute they were following it, then they'd round a tree and it was gone, no sign of how it had left, leaving them perplexed.

One of the more crafty ones, as they were following it, leapt up to an overhanging vine and swung across to others, swinging over a river and out of their reach, disappearing deep into the forest.

"That crafty little… he went over that river!" Garet exclaimed.

"Looks like we'll have to find a way over." Ivan mused. Isaac looked up and down the length of the river.

"There's now way over that I can see." He told them. "I think we'll have to make ourselves a way over."

"And how do we do that?" Mia asked.

"Just cut down a tree and make a bridge." Garet joked.

"Actually, that's not a half bad idea…" Isaac stated as inspiration struck him.

"Whoa, Isaac buddy, I was being sarcastic there…" Garet began, but Isaac had already made his move. He found a nice large, think trunk of a dead tree with not too many branches left that would do the job nicely.

Focusing his mind and summoning his Psynergy, Isaac delved his mind into the wood. There was a perfect point to make a break. Reaching out to his element with a single hand upon the tree, Isaac used Psynergy to break apart the fibres of the wood along a narrow line low on the trunk. When it was sufficiently weakened, he simply pushed the tree and its trunk snapped with surprising ease, allowing the rest of its bulk to crash to the ground effortlessly.

"How on Weyard did you do that?" Mia asked in surprise after the tree had landed.

"I know how to work with my element." Isaac shrugged. "Hey, Garet! Give me a hand getting this into the water, will you?" Realizing now what it was the Venus Adept had in mind, he quickly went to his aid shifting the tree. The two Adept used their Psynergy to drag the heavy trunk into the water, pushing it the rest of the way when it was halfway in.

The river was moving at a ponderous pace, so the large trunk didn't get dragged away, its end still resting on the bank. It was long enough to almost reach the other side, and from there it was a short jump across.

Once safely across, they resumed their journey through the forest, following the creatures that they'd flushed out of hiding with the Orb of Force. But deeper into the forest, some of the apes they encountered were a little braver, defending their territory when encountered.

The first ape to strike them back took them completely by surprise. When they flushed it out of hiding with the Orb of Force, rather than run off into the forest, so they could follow it, it charged at them with a shriek, intent on attacking. Ivan was the first to react, whipping up a billowing whirlwind, spinning it in the air and hurling it into a tree, knocking it unconscious.

The others, they were more prepared for. The next time they were attacking, Garet simply summoned a wall of fire between them, freaking the ape out and sending it back into hiding. Mia had to douse the fire out with her Psynergy, and they subsequently missed out on following the ape.

Others were frightened off by Isaac creating a minor earth tremor, Mia cooling their tempers with a well placed blast of water, drawn out of the air with her Psynergy. Sometimes they were able to follow after them when they had repelled the attempted attack, but sometimes, usually after Garet did something, it was impossible, generally because they had already lost it, the ape was unconscious, or simply because they were delayed as Mia had to Douse Garet's flames on the ground.

They had absolutely no sense of direction in the forest, or any idea what distance they'd travelled. Always were they wandering through trees blindly, hoping that they were heading in a somewhat southerly direction. They were well and truly and completely lost. At least they had reasonable success finding the apes of the forest to follow. Isaac wasn't entirely sure how reliable following them would be, they were seemingly running in random directions to him, but Nyunpa had advised him to follow them, so he put his faith in the old man's words. He was a monk who knew much and supposedly had read scriptures speaking of omens of the future, so he had to trust the old man's words.

Even though they couldn't make out the sky, or barely even the sun, through the tops of the tall, thick branches, they were aware that night had begun descending upon them when the maze-like forest darkened even more than it had been during the day. They had no choice but to make camp for the night in who knew what part of the forest.

Sitting around the camp fire, they found Mogall Forest to be much more disturbing at night that it was at day. Unseen eyes seemed to stare at them from the shadows. Bats, large and dangerous looking flew about, warded off only by the light of the camp fire. And creatures of the night could be heard milling about their location.

"Geez, this place freaks me out!" Garet commented as they ate dinner.

"Tell me about it." Ivan responded. "It's like we're being watched by something, and I don't feel the least bit safe with those noises I can hear."

"I wish they'd just go away." Mia moaned. "Things are bad enough as it is. We've spent all day wandering about with no idea where we're going, we could be here forever trying to find a way out. It's like this forest goes on forever! Endless woods indeed…"

"I can see why Nyunpa said that no ordinary man could pass through here." Isaac told them. "We've got this Orb of Force and the secret to supposedly finding our way across, but we've been wandering around blindly guessing our way as much as we've been following those apes, so we could be anywhere by now. We don't even know if we're headed in the right direction right now. We could very well have a long way to go yet." The other nodded in agreement.

"I think we should be more on our guard tomorrow for possible attacks." Ivan suggested. "It seems to me that the deeper we get in this forest, the more aggressive these monsters get. Who knows what we'll encounter along the way."

"Yes, which makes me wonder why these apes should all supposedly run to the end of the forest when we disturb them." Mia then said.

"Hey, that's a good question, I hadn't thought of that." Garet responded.

"I've thought about it, but I can't think of any reason why they would." Isaac shrugged.

"Maybe they feel safer heading in that direction?" Ivan suggested, but his tone of voice suggested he didn't much believe the idea. As they went to sleep for the night, they all agreed to once again take it in turns keeping watch, just in case. None of them slept easily, however.

X

The next day as they got ready to move again, they suddenly realised that they had a rather tasking problem. Which direction did they go in now? They had completely forgotten which way they had come from, and none of them could agree on which direction they were going, let alone we're they should go now.

Isaac's first instinct was to find their tracks and simply back track on those until they'd found their bearings again, but that idea failed. He discovered that it was impossible to backtrack in Mogall Forest. The footprints had vanished some way in between the trees mysteriously during the night. They were as lost trying to find their way forwards in Mogall as they were trying to go backwards.

"I'm telling you, we should go that way!" Garet insisted to the others, pointing in a seemingly random direction. "I remember that tress's location!"

"How can you, Garet? It looks just like all the others!" Ivan exclaimed. "Let's head in the direction!"

"What, that way? It's the exact opposite of what I suggested!"

"Exactly, which is why it's likely to be the right way!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!"

"That you always make the wrong choice!" Ivan joked.

"Hey, you guys!" Mia interrupted, causing them to both fall silent and listen. "The sun always rises in the east, right? So why don't we just use that to find our bearing and head south?" There was a moment's silence.

"Hey! I didn't even think of that!" Garet then exclaimed.

"Great idea, Mia!" Ivan told her.

"I can't believe that we didn't think of that before." Isaac murmured, shaking his head.

"Leave it to a woman to think of the simple answer!" the blue haired angel smiled.

This early in the morning, the angle of the sunlight was a lot more easy to define than during the rest of the day, when the think foliage of the trees above them made it to difficult to ascertain. Once they were sure of where south was, they immediately began heading in that direction, sloping gently downhill. Walking in a straight line, they tried to keep their course, but the twists and turns of the forest paths made it increasingly difficult, and the sun had risen far up enough to make it hard to spot.

"Are you sure we're getting nearer to the end?" Garet asked. "I have this distinct feeling that we're going around in circles."

"How can you say that Garet, if we have no idea where we're going?" Ivan countered.

"Because this part of the forest looks a lot like that other part we passed through." came Garet's reply.

"Oh, come on, Garet!" Mia vexed. "_Every_ part of this forest looks just like the other part."

"Well, this looks more so." he insisted.

"Quiet! I think there's another one of those ape creatures up ahead." Isaac warned them. Sure enough, up in the branches of a nearby tree, was an ape with thick brown hair sleeping lazily. Using the Orb of Force, Isaac unleashed a Psynergetic punch that knocked the creature from its perch, waking it up as it crashed into the ground. The ape then rushed at them, anger flaring in its eyes until it saw how many of them there were, at which point it turned and ran from them, deep into the shadows of the forest.

Isaac and the others followed at top speed, keeping up with it as it wove it's way in between trees, darting from side to side until lit vanished somewhere behind some thick shrubbery up ahead, and they failed to find it again.

They followed several others like this through the endless woods; all the while Isaac wondered where on Weyard they were leading them. They soon found out, however.

As they were following a dirty grey ape attempting to make its escape, it disappeared into a thick grove of trees, behind which emerged a giant ape. This monster ape was huge; some ten tall covered in thick, light brown hair, and set with powerful looking muscles. So _that_ was what those other apes had been heading for! The protection of this giant ape!

"Aw, geez, I wish Nyunpa had warned us about _this_!" Garet exclaimed, as he pulled out his axe from his side, and gripped it tightly before him.

"I can't believe that it was really created from those Psynergy Stones!" Ivan said, noting the way the beast had a similar sort of resonance at the rest of the forest did; an unnatural Venus Psynergy resonance, altering the power of the earth element from within.

"Let's take care of it!" Isaac declared, unsheathing his sword. Mia held her Angelic Ankh in front of her, and the orb began to glow blue as she focused her Psynergy.

Seeing her rod's glow, the giant ape moved on her first. It raised a fist, but Mia quickly unleashed a shower of razor sharp icicles at the beast, stopping it in its tracks. Ivan hit it with a powerful gust of wind, knocking it back a step. While it was still recoiling from the blow, Garet hit it with a torrent of small fireballs, engulfing the creature in flames. Strangely it didn't seem to do much more than singe its hair. Garet rushed at the ape with his axe, but it threw him aside with a powerful backhand, sending the Fire Adept flying away.

"Garet!" Isaac shouted. That blow looked like it might have injured him.

"I'll take care of him!" Mia called out, rushing for the fallen Adept, while Isaac engaged the giant ape to keep it away from her.

Isaac flung out his hand and the ground beneath the monster roiled in an earthquake, causing it to lose its footing. Out of the corner of his eye, Isaac saw Mia working her magic on Garet, healing his injured chest.

Bolts of lightning lanced down upon the giant ape, momentarily blinding Isaac. When he opened them again, the beast was coming for them, large arms raised above its head in rage. Isaac instinctively reached out to the ground with his Psynergy, and a powerful stone spike rent itself from the earth, and flew at the gorilla's chest, shattering against its powerful hide and stopping it from charging.

Isaac was amazed at its resilience, something like that would have killed any other. Isaac prepared another, more powerful attack. Right then, a powerful whirlwind formed about the creature, holding it in place. Isaac realized Ivan was keeping it in place so he could get in another attack.

Unleashing his Psynergy, a powerful Ragnarok shot from Isaac's hand, a glowing white phantom blade of pure power slamming into the hairy animal's bulk, exploding in a brilliant white flash, sending a shower of dazzling white sparks around it. Ivan let his whirlwind dissipate, and the two Adepts, holding their sword blade and rod in front of them, charged in for the attack.

As they rushed in, and their sight cleared, they saw the powerful monster wasn't beaten; in fact it was going in for the attack. Isaac swung his sword, and the blade pierced deeply into the flesh of its arm at the same time as its fist collided with his chest and threw him back. Isaac slammed into a tree behind him. His armour had saved him from major injury. He saw the ape jitter with electricity as it flung Ivan aside and game into contact with his Shaman's Rod.

Ivan was flung off to the side and landed by a tree, seriously wounded. Isaac quickly cast his Cure ability on himself, healing his bruised and winded chest. He looked up to see the giant ape moving towards Ivan to finish him off. Thinking quickly, Isaac summoned his power, channelling it through the Orb of Force and unleashed a Psynergetic punch at the beasts back. It worked; the ape turned to face him and forgot Ivan, then charged bellowing loudly.

Isaac focused his mind on the earth between them and, raising his hand, huge chunks of stone rose up between them, floating in the air. The ape slackened its pace a little confused. Then Isaac flung out his hand, and the rocks hurled themselves at the monster, slamming into it with an audible crunch, halting it in its tracks.

Suddenly, a torrent of sharp icicles descended upon it, driving it to its knees. Mia appeared at his side, and used what she had told them was called 'frost', as iced formed around the giant apes knees, freezing it to the ground.

"Quick, go help Ivan!" he told her, and she nodded, racing for the fallen Wind Adept. Roaring with anger, the ape tried to break free to reach her. While it was distracted, a huge powerful fireball slammed into it, exploding like a heat wave, incinerating the grass about it. Garet stood next to Isaac, axe held before him in battle position.

"Knock me to the ground, will you?" he called out, and ran towards it.

Isaac unleashed another Ragnarok over his friend at their enemy to cover him.

It exploded in a shower of brilliant white sparks and Garet leapt on the creature and buried his axe in its back. The ape howled with pain and threw Garet from its back, but the Fire Adept was uninjured.

Suddenly a blue, powerful bolt of lightning plasma slammed down on the creature. Isaac looked to see Ivan standing again, Rod in hand and purple eyes focused intently on the giant ape, which now fell to it knees, unable to stand any more assaults. Mia unleashed the killing blow, thick sharp icicle piercing the back of its head, leaving the creature to fall to the ground, dead, red blood forming a pool around it.

"Phew, that was a close one." Ivan sighed. Garet walked over and ripped his axe from the creature's back, inspecting the blade.

"I'm going to have to clean this again…" he muttered, but hung it back at his side anyway.

"Is everyone all right?" Mia asked in a concerned voice.

"We're all fine." Isaac told her. "Right now, we should get moving. We won't stay along for long, I think." The four Adept turned, and continued heading south, following Isaac's lead. He could sense the earth's aura around him was thinner in that direction, almost certainly because it was at the edge of the forest.

"Hey, I can see a light through the trees!" Ivan called out. "We're near the edge of the forest!"

They broke into a run, and finally emerged on the other side of Mogall Forest, in daylight once more. They were upon the path as well, which was lost once it would into the trees behind them. Ahead was an old wooden sign which read :

'_North: Mogall Prairie. _

_West: Xian'_

"Hey, we made it!" Garet exclaimed. "Those monkeys we were following didn't lead us the wrong way!"

"I'm pretty tired after that battle." Ivan said. "I think we should have a rest, Isaac."

"We could all do with a rest." Mia told the Earth Adept, who was thinking inside his head. Four days behind Saturos when they encountered Mogall, and they made it across in two. How long for their group, though? Best not to waste anymore time.

"Isaac, buddy, you listening?" Garet called out. "Should we rest here?"

"We can rest at Xian." Isaac told them. "We can't afford to fall any further behind. Let's hurry; we can catch up to them yet."

Following the road, the party of four Adepts continued on their way.

X

"Who would have imagined that Mogall Forest would be such a maze?" Saturos sighed as he sat down. Menardi handed him a bowl of soup that she was cooking, flames generated with Psynergy, and the powerful warriors began eating.

"We did unfortunately waste too much time in Mogall." Menardi replied coolly. "But we're through now. And those kids haven't caught up with us yet."

"I wish they would." Jenna muttered sourly to herself, but the two powerful Fire Adepts ignored her. Felix sat next to her eating silently, but he kept a wary eye on her at all times.

"I am indeed truly amazed at the power those Psynergy Stones exerted over the land." Kraden said to himself in deep thought. "Transforming an entire prairie to a thick forest in a matter of days! Incredible! I must get my observations down." He sat there, scribbling in a small, leather bound book, occasionally mushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Saturos and Menardi both ignored him.

"Why can't we stay at an inn in this town we're passing by?" Jenna asked. "Xi- whatever it was. The one Alex is visiting now for supplies?"

"Because Saturos said so." Felix told her simply. "Why do we need to stop there anyway?"

"Because we've been walking and camping for more than a week now, I'm tired and I want a proper bed!" Jenna snapped. Saturos opened his mouth to reply, but Menardi spoke first.

"Actually, Saturos, for once the girl has a point." she told him. Jenna frowned inwardly at being called a girl.

"We don't know how far behind us Isaac and his friends are." Saturos replied to Menardi, not Jenna. "Nyunpa wouldn't give us the secret for getting through Mogall quickly, but no doubt those kids won his heart and are right behind us. We don't want to let them know we've been this way." Menardi nodded.

"I can't see how it would be anything but good if he catches up." Jenna told her captor. "I'd rather he rescue me than be stuck with you."

"If he did find us, it would be a fight he cannot win." Saturos warned her gravely. "Mercury would not be able to save him next time."

"We will have to face him sooner or later, you know, Felix." Menardi told Jenna's traitorous brother.

"I know, but it's a conflict that I'd rather avoid." The Earth Adept sighed.

"But it will happen; we need the Mars Star he carries." Menardi replied.

"Personally, I don't want to face them yet, either." Saturos spoke. "If we can delay them, then we can save ourselves the bother of dealing with them while we light Venus and Jupiter. Then _we_ can make _them_ bring the Mars Star to Mars Lighthouse." He grinned. "No matter how strong they get, we and the other two can easily enough deal with them."

_Who are these other two?_ Jenna thought silently to herself.

"Saturos, you and I are strong enough to deal with them on our own." Menardi told her partner then, with a look to Jenna, added. "Besides, we might still convince them to make a deal yet, if we can."

Jenna's temper rose. How dare they talk about her like this! Like she was just something to be swapped!

"I wish Isaac would stop being so stubborn and just give us the Star." Felix muttered solemnly as he gazed into the fire. "He doesn't realise what he'd getting himself into. That way we could release Alchemy, and Jenna would be safe."

"As safe as a world with Alchemy loose can be!" Jenna snapped, causing even Kraden to stop scribbling in his book. "Don't you realise what it is you're trying to do?"  
"Only all too well…" Felix replied levelly.

"As do I." Alex's voice came from behind her. Jenna forgot her anger as she spun to see the blue-haired Water Adept behind her step into the fire's light. "You mentioned you wanted to delay Isaac and his companions?" he asked Saturos as he dropped the bag of supplies on the ground. "I found an ideal location for the idea you suggested."

"Then we can delay Isaac and the others without having to deal with them?" Felix asked enthusiastically.

"For the time being, yes." Alex replied simply. "But Saturos, I must stress that somehow we must get…"

"We'll get it." Saturos cut in. There was no need to say what 'it' was. The Mars Star.

"What, may I ask, is it you are planning?" Kraden asked inquisitively.

"You shall see, Master Kraden, you shall see." Saturos replied, returning to his soup.

Jenna sighed to herself as she gazed out to the stars, thinking about Isaac. He wouldn't be stopped by anything they tried, she was sure. They had gone through Kolima, even Saturos himself atop Mercury. She knew that he'd come to her rescue eventually. She only wished that there were something that she could do.

**A/N: **And that's the end of that chapter. Well, hope you liked it, even if I didn't all that much (author pessimism, I'll bet). Yes, I may be a "traveling chapter" kinda guy, but I like the "traveling chapter" thing, seeing as the next couple will also be "traveling chaps". (Which, I guess, is now the unofficial title for such a thing, and why not?)

Anyway, there's now something that I want to say. Give me MSN addresses! I'm lonely on MSN, somebody add me, make me feel loved and give me a reason to pretend that I have friends out there! Seriously, as SpasticDjinn pointed out, things around here were a lot better when authors communicated a lot more, and stimulated the creation of more fics. The GS community is dying, so, my friends Romans Countrymen and Fellow Authors, we must band together, and keep things alive! Lets us band together, and talk about all sorts of things! Let us resurrect the GS fanfiction community! We have the power! When the time has come, and others ask you what you did to resurrect the GS community, what will you say? WHAT SAY YOU? So give me MSN addresses, or just add me, if it pleases you, though I won't be offended in the least if you choose not to. Whether we talk or not outside of reviews is up to you, if you want to, great, if not, no problem. Anyway, I'm beginning to ramble here, but if you'll put up with me, I have one more thing to complain about that is of absolutely no relevance whatsoever.

Anyone ever read the Wheel of Time series? Anyone aware of how book 11 (Knife of Dreams) is about to be released this month? Anyone who knows me will know that I'm looking forward to this book release with the same level of anxiousness that many Harry Potter fans experienced for the Half-Blood Prince. And you know what I just found out? In the US, KoD is being released this month. Here in Australia, I have to wait til JANUARY NEXT FREAKIN YEAR! BAH! This is an outrage! Sure, I could pay the bookstore and extra $40 to import it early, but… jeez laweez, I'm not made of money! Grumble…. Wait an extra couple a months… what is the world coming too? Well, like I said, I'm just complaining, and it has nothing to do with anything, so I'll just shut up.

Anyway, these Author notes are almost becoming as long as the actual chapter, so I'll end things with the usual requests for reviews, MSN addresses if you wanna chat with me and a vague promise of a reasonably quick update that will probably be broken. Good day to you all. Oh yeah, and keep an eye out as I'll soon be releasing me (cough our cough) brand new Top Secret Fan Fiction Project. You'll see… it's looking really good and is a lot of fun to write. Anyway, adios amigos!


	15. Foretelling

**A/N: W**elcome again, all! Wow, you all wrote such long and nice reviews, thank you all! Regarding reviews, here you all go…

**ForensicDuelist4137: **Cool, glad you like it! Yeah, I did initially stick to the original text, but most people didn't seem to like that, so now I just go by the same basic meaning, but different words to make it interesting. Well, I'll be sure to check out your story when you put it up. Thanx for reviewing!

**Cloudfightback: **Another new name! Um, you wouldn't be able to give me your MSN address again, would you? It seems ff.n deleted it from your review. I think you have to put spaces between the words and the symbol, so that the site doesn't think it's a hyperlink or something. I thiknk that's how it works anyway. So yeah, give it to me again, and we'll be able to chat! Yeah, I know what you mean about the Djinn, I have had a lot of mixed reaction about them, but oh well. I might see if I can at least work some reference to them into the narrative. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Spirit Seer: **Heh, it is, isn't it? Don't fear, it's just a sort of non-dramatic part of the game, er, fic, whatever. It'll get more mature as we get to the good bits, I think. ANyhoo, glad you liked it. And as always, thanx for your reviews!

**ElementalSpirit1: **Cool, I'm glad you think their cool, and I'll definitely include as much action as I can. Yeah, I understand about the MSN thing, still, whenever you're on is cool. Thanks for the idea, though I must admit I didn't quite get to work it in, sorry. I'd already written most of the chapter when I got your review, and I hadn't included her, and was too short on ideas on how to include it. Maybe when I go back and edit the chapter (GS special edition!) I'll put it in, but I wasn't sure how to (sometimes I'm short on ideas of implementation.) Anyhoo, glad you could review!

**Favri the Fisher: ** I sure hope that I am! That'll be cool… a new world record, lol. You think it's come far? I guess it has, I am learning. If all goes to plan, it shall be finished. Heh, you're just like my friend, skipping the monkey like that. Oh well. Keep up the reviews!

**SpasticDjinn: **Incredibly pleased, I see. So, I inspired you, did I? Hehe… my influence upon others grows… but, yeah, I like to write long chapters, full of wordy goodness. I mean, the shortest chap so far is (I think) 4000 words or so. Well, the prologue might have been shorter, but oh well.

**Corycian Muse: **Ah, I am honoured by your presence. A muse of Greek times? Half Irish? Well, you learn something new everyday! You really think it's that good? Excellent. (said in poor mister burns imitation) Now, if only I could recruit some non-GS fans and tell me what they think… well, I'm glad you like it so much, despite poor memory. Or perhaps because of it. Who knows? That's cool about the MSN thing… stupid timezones… can't you just become nocturnal? No? Oh, okay then. Don't sweat not reviewing my other stuff, even though it would be great to hear your feedback on it, I won't pressure you. It really doesn't bother me too much how many reviews I get, though more is better. I'm surprised how much you love my travelling chaps… well, as long as they're good, I'll throw em in when I can. Glad your with me on the fandom… things are already in motion that cannot be stopped… soon, we will have might enough to cover all the lands of Weyard in a second darkness… what am I saying? Bah, appreciate your review, glad you liked it, and off topic rambling is always welcome. No, no point in telling me to continue, I'll keep at it even if you'd told me not to.

**Mercury Gold:** Cool, glad you liked it all so much, I do my best! Actually, it's funny, but I tend to find battle scenes fairly easy, Dunno why, but hey, enjoy it while I can, huh? Yes, I have gotten far in this, haven't I? I've only seen one other attempt come even close. Don't feel bad about ranting, I don't mind, I quite liked it! Anyhoo, keep on reviewing!

**GoldenSunGeek: **You didn't know I was an Aussie? Could've sworn I mentioned it before… oh well, guess not. Glad you thought I got the confusion spot on, always gotta be careful of that! You liked that comment from Mia? Funny, I wasn't sure if it was that good, but obviously it is! Shame about the MSN thing, but oh well, I'm sure emails will do. Wait, have I said that before? Bah, no matter. Cya soon!

**Kd7sov: **Ah, always good to hear from you, amigo! The three dots are called an ellipsis? You learn something new everyday! Funny, some of the things I don't know. Yeah, it did start slowly, but I'm glad you liked it. That tree bridge was something that just popped into my head when I was writing. Don't know where from. And yes, I also think "work with my element" is a cool phrase, very appropriate for the GS universe. Heh, not all Psynergy items are gone, just that Douse drop. I mean, they got the lovely Miss Mia there to do all their douse work for them, what do they need an item like that for? Douse drop? I'm a water adept, I don't need no stinkin douse drop, gringo! Or something like that. Don't worry about the MSN thing, that's cool. Reviews will work fine, I'm sure.

**Arsenal:** Another person who loves all my detail! I try to write it as though I was actually there and experiencing those things, to make it as real as possible, so I'm gladyou liked it. Yes, those subtle hints… you'll get a few in here, but not many. Glad you like my characterisation, I try my hardest! Well, if ya wanna chat, just give me your MSN, if not, that's cool.

Okay, now that that's done, on with the show. I was fairly pleased with how this chapter turned out. It starts a bit slow and rambly, but it gets going. And I think you'll all enjoy the battle scene I threw in, not to mention appreciate the surprise companion. Well, I hope. But I won't blather on, because you probably don't care what I have to say, so here you go. Enjoy.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**FORETELLING**

Isaac and the others stepped into the city of Xian, looking about the impressive town. It was a town built with the same "Far Eastern" architecture of Fuchin, but somehow simpler, and larger. It was a large, oriental town a bit larger than Bilibin. And very wealthy.

Ivan had explained to them that Xian was the start of the Silk Road. All of Angara's silk came from Xian, who sold it to merchants who travelled along the Silk Road, and sold it at Tolbi, a large city to the west. This was the single most commonly visited town for Ivan's Master Hammet, as well as Tolbi, so he knew the place very well.

While stopping in Xian, Isaac planned to have a look at the Xian Martial Arts Academy. Ivan explained that the people of Xian were among the most proficient of all warriors, short of the Colosso warriors. They fought entirely without weapons or armour, using hand-to-hand combat, involving kicks, punches and throws. Garet had originally been interested in seeing it until Ivan mentioned that they didn't use weapons. After that, he seemed no longer interested.

"Who fights without weapons?" he had asked.

"They do, and they call it Kung Fu." Ivan explained. "They're really good fighter's, too. Trust me, I've seen them before."

"I still say they don't sound that tough." Garet relied.

"I don't think they sound worth seeing." Mia shrugged. "Anyone can fight, but healing takes true dedication and skill." She sounded very proud as she said that.

"I plan on having a look tomorrow before we leave, anyway." Isaac told them. They stopped outside one of the larger Xian style buildings. "Is this the Inn you recommended, Ivan?"

"Yes, Master Hammet and I used to always stay here on business trips. It's a very good place to stay." Ivan replied as they entered.

A man in elaborate silk robes and slanted eyes greeted them as they entered with a bow.

"Greetings, travellers. Ah, warriors, I see. Please, make yourself, comfortable, how may I be of service?" His voice was smooth and professional sounding. It was then he noticed Ivan. "Ah, many greetings Master Ivan, back already? Where is Lord Hammet?"

"I'm, uh… not with Hammet." Ivan quickly stammered, forgetting even to call him master, as he always did, remembering how he had been imprisoned in Lunpa, the City of Thieves. "I'm here with my friends, Isaac, Garet and Mia." He motioned to each of them in turn. The three of them said hello.

"Ah, such fine friends. Shall I ready your room? Same as always?" the Innkeeper asked.

"Yes, of course."

**XXXXXXXX**

Isaac laid back as he sank in the luxuriant bath. This was the life! The water had a herbal remedy scent as he breathed in and he came to realise that they hadn't had a decent rest since staying in Bilibin. All four of them were getting the same treatment during their stay. The Kiuan Inn, as it was called, knew how to look after its customers.

Right now his, and the others, clothes were being freshly cleaned and pressed while he soaked, ready for their continued journey. Isaac hadn't even realised that their clothes had been getting dirty and were in need of cleaning. But they had needed it; they had all been wearing the same things since they had first set out on their journey. Mia couldn't believe they hadn't realised, it had apparently been a major problem for her, travelling in a travel-dirtied dress. She had practically thrust her clothes into the serving maid's hands when she announced what she was to do with them. Ivan had gratefully handed his over. Those expensive robes had been made from the finest Xian silk and brought for him by Master Hammet, and he wanted them looked after.

Garet hadn't even realised his clothes were dirty, and even insisted they were still fine.

"They'll last me the rest of the trip!" he'd insisted, but he'd eventually given in after Mia had badgered him about it. Isaac wasn't one to complain, he just handed them over, grateful for the service. They wouldn't have received half as good service for twice as much gold coin in any other Inn that they'd stayed at.

Once he was done, he left the bath tub to find that a green silk robe had been provided for him. The attendant called it a "Kimono", it was apparently meant for guests. When he entered their room, he found that he must have spent longer in there forgetting about his troubles than he realised, because everyone else was already there.

Garet was wearing a red kimono, and his hair was already perfectly spiked back up, as always.

"I don't like this 'kimono' thing. It seems a bit weird." he moaned. "I wish I had my old clothes back."

"Your old clothes are filthy. It's about time you wore something else." Mia chastised. She was wearing a blue silk kimono, and was busy combing her aqua blue lock in front of a mirror.

"Hey, the next town we'll arrive in will be my hometown!" Ivan suddenly exclaimed from the table where he sat, looking down at Isaac's map of Angara, wearing a purple silk kimono that seemed slightly too large for him.

"What, you mean Kalay?" Garet asked, turning to face the small Wind Adept.

"Yep, after leaving Xian, we pass through Altin pass, go past Lama Temple, through the Lamakan Desert along the Silk Road, and we're there." They were crossing half the continent of Angara, without any town along the way, except for some temple? Isaac looked at the map. No, there was one other town, a small town called Altin that was out of their way.

"Oh, sure, it's just halfway across the continent, not far at all." Garet said in a most sarcastic manner.

"I was just saying it's the next place we'll visit." Ivan replied, rolling his eyes.

"That's a long way to go to reach the next town." Isaac mused, looking down at the map. "We're going to need to buy a lot of supplies, more than usual." He grimaced inwardly at the thought. They were beginning to run low in the financial department.

"We'll get some tomorrow then." Mia sighed, as she clipped her hair back and placed the comb down.

"Hey, dinner's arrived!" Garet exclaimed as a servant brought in trays of strange looking food. Garet's eagerness faded to disappointment as he looked at it. "What is this stuff!"

"It's Xian cuisine, and it's very nice." Ivan told him. "Try it; I'm sure you'll like it."

Isaac looked down at his plate. It was… different. A layer of thin noodles mixed in with chopped capsicum, onions, and thin slivers of beef mixed in with a sweet smelling sauce on a bed of rice.

"Uh… what do we eat it with?" Garet asked, looking around for a fork.

"I think we use these." Mia replied, holding up a pair of thin, pointed sticks.

"How on Weyard are we supposed to eat with these?" Isaac asked, holding the sticks up to eye-level.

"They're called chop-sticks, and you can use them like this." Ivan showed them all how to use the chop-sticks, and after a bit of practice, Mia and Isaac were both awkwardly, but effectively using them. Garet simply gave up, threw the chopsticks away over his shoulder, and ate with his bare hands.

The food was simply delicious, even Garet, who had been sceptical, cleaned his plate up.

**XXXXXXXX**

The next day, Isaac and the others put their clothes back on, freshly cleaned. Isaac's blue tunic and breeches felt smooth and comfortable, like they had been when he first left Vale all that time ago. And his yellow scarf hung around his neck like spun gold. His armour had been polished till it was gleaming. He and Garet looked like professional warriors now. Ivan really did seem a servant for a wealthy merchant once more. And Mia looked once again every inch the healer she had been when they first met her in Imil.

Isaac left to see what the Xian Academy was like while the others went to buy some more supplies. Xian Academy was a large building in the north end of town, next to a flowing waterfall. As he entered, he saw many people were training inside. Some were jumping, doing push ups, practicing fighting moves against imaginary opponents and in one corner, two fighters were sparring, using jabs, blocks, throws and parries to attempt to bring each other down. Impressive. Garet probably should have come; he would have enjoyed this after all.

"Are you here to see Master Feh?" the man standing at the door asked him. "If you are, he's busy talking with his daughter, Feizhi."

"Uh, no." Isaac asked. "I don't even know who Master Feh is."

"He is the leader. He teaches us all how to fight and use Chi." The man explained.

"Oh, well, no, I just wanted to see what this place looked like." Isaac replied. "I'm really just a tourist." The man then looked him up and down, eyeing his armour and sword, while Isaac watched the spar in the corner.

"You have the look of a warrior." The man said in a respectful voice. "Tell me, are you a powerful warrior?"

"Well, I know how to hold my own in battle." he shrugged as he looked to the fight. It was over, but both fighters were bowing to each other, Isaac was unable to tell who had won.

"Can you use Chi?" the man then asked. "Is your Chi very powerful?"

"Chi?" Isaac asked uncertainly. The man then got an amused grin on is face.

"Look there. You see that line?" Isaac looked behind him to see a wide white line painted on the ground going form side to side.

"Stand there and use Chi. If that logs falls," he pointed to a large upright log three metres on the other side of the line. "I will take you to see Master Feh." He had a smug smile on his face. "You do not look like a very powerful warrior." He sneered. "I have trained my Chi my whole life, I do not think you can do it. You will not get to meet Master Feh."

"But I don't want to see Master Feh!" Isaac told him. Then an amused thought occurred to him. If this man was going to be so stuckup, then Isaac thought he might just show him up. "But I can show you my 'Chi'!" he said, feeling the Orb of Force in his pocket.

"Oh, really?" the Xian said, raising his eyebrows. "Very well, then. Let us see."

Standing just on the side of the line, Isaac raised his right palm towards the log, and focused his Psynergy through the Orb of Force in his pocket. The man stood by his side, grinning like a fool, expecting to see him fail.

The Psynergetic "Force" struck the log and it tottered then fell over to its side. A few of the other fighters in the room looked over curiously, but most ignored it.

"What did you do, warrior?" the man asked, clearly shocked. He stared at the log for a few moments more, and then he turned to Isaac and asked, "Do you know Kung Fu?"

"No, I don't." Isaac replied, shaking his head.

"It is unbelievable that someone who does not know Kung Fu can use Chi." The man said, his tone suddenly very respectful. "My name is Tsuke, warrior. I am very pleased to meet one whose Chi is so clearly very strong, if you can use it from afar like that. I must tell Master Feh!"

Tsuke then rushed towards the edge of the room to a door and moved to open it, but it slid open before he could reach it, and from it emerged a girl of about Isaac's age who stormed off in a huff.

She had what must normally be an innocent playful looking beautiful face with kind green eyes, but now she wore a disgruntled, petulant look. She was wearing very elaborate, expensive looking purple silk robes that looked impressive, but also allowed for swift movement, as the girl was so clearly demonstrating, walking quickly for the Academy exit, stomping her feet angrily. But weirdest of all was her hair, long and held up in an ornate fashion, was a light violet colour.

"Feizhi! Wait!" a man's voice called out from within the doorway. The purple-haired girl, Feizhi, stopped and turned to look at the man who stepped out, whom Isaac assumed to be Master Feh. He wore simple, dark robes and he short black hair with a long, drooping, thin moustache. "Why do you worry so about Hsu? He is still at Lama Temple, nothing could have happened to him." The man had a firm, level and disciplined voice.

"Something is wrong with him." Feizhi insisted. "I sense it."

Feh sighed. "Is this your 'power' again? Your 'foretelling'?"

"I've told you over and over again!" she told him, raising her voice loudly. Many people in the dojo were now looking over to her. "When I was hit in the head by those falling gems from the sky, they gave me powers!"

"Yes, I know" Feh said, sounding slightly vexed. "You say you sense evil ever since you received the power of prophecy. It is nonsense, Feizhi, I do not believe it. Your visions are nothing more than coincidences. Gems do not grant powers."

_She was hit in the head with a Psynergy Stone?_ Isaac wondered just what that would do to a person. Animals had been transformed to monsters by their power, and environments changed forever. Would she be injured? He seemed to remember Kraden lecturing once about the effect of Psynergy Stones on people… what had he said again?

Feizhi growled and threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Why must you be so stubborn!" She turned to face Tsuke. "My visions have always come true have they not?" she asked him. Her expression seemed to suggest painful retribution if he did not agree. Tsuke just nodded wordlessly, looking scared of Feizhi. She turned to face a nearby woman.

"I had a vision of an evil forest growing upon the Mogall Prairie, and that came true…"

"Yes, your predictions came true, Feizhi!" she responded eagerly. "It was very surprising!"

"I saw that Altin would be flooded, did I not?" she asked another man. "Did that vision not just come true only recently?"

"Yes! All of your predictions have come true!" he replied. "Sol has gifted you with the power of foretelling, just like Master Hama!"

_Foretelling? How is that possible? _Isaac wondered. What did those Psynergy Stones do to her?

"See, father?" she asked, turning back to Master Feh, a smug, triumphant grin plastered on her face. "I have the gift of foretelling. Master Hama even told me so, so there!"

"I have heard this all before." he responded flatly. "It is coincidence, nothing more. Pure nonsense, Feizhi, and I'll have none of it."

"You still don't believe it?" she challenged, folding her arms across her chest.

"You are simply worrying because Hsu is late." Feh reasoned. "Do not think bad thoughts, he will be fine."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You did send people to find Hsu, didn't you?" Master Feh shook his head though, no he hadn't. "Stubborn old man." she muttered to herself, just loud enough to be heard.

"What did you say, Feizhi?" Feh demanded in an outraged tone. "You should know better to show disrespect to your elders!"

"I will not ask anyone, then." she declared in a tone that brooked no argument. "I will go alone, and find Hsu and bring him back. You'll see!" She turned to leave.

"I forbid it! It is too dangerous!" Feh told her, but it was too late, she had left. He gave a weary sigh. "That girl is going to make my hair go grey before my time…"

"Uh… Master, is it safe for her to be out there with those monsters roaming the land?" one of the students asked.

Feh appeared unconcerned, looking out the door where Feizhi had left. "Feizhi knows Kung Fu. She will be all right." he said confidently. "She cannot go too far. She will give up soon enough. Until then, let her be."

Feh walked away from the door further into the training room, looking upon his students. It was then he noticed the fallen log, which Isaac had forgotten about until then.

"The log… it fell. What happened?" he inquired, waiting for someone to answer him. The warrior who had first challenged Isaac to knock it down then ran up and hurriedly said, "The warrior did it. He used Chi." Master Feh looked Isaac in the eye.

"Warrior, you… can you use Chi?" he asked, sounding slightly sceptical.

"No, what I used was Psy…" Isaac began, forgetting about keeping his powers secret.

"Warrior, you speak nonsense." Master Feh interrupted, fortunately. "You must have used Chi. I want to see you use your Chi, do it again!"

Isaac was uncomfortably aware that he was the centre of attention for quite a few people in the room. Well, he couldn't hide it now; running wouldn't do anything to help.

"All right, I'll do it!" he murmured in reply, as he took his place by the line.

Two of the other warriors set the log back up, then stepped back while Master Feh watched on expectantly. Isaac once again readied his Orb of Force and unleashed a punch of "Force" Psynergy. The log fell with a loud thud, and this time everyone in the room stopped and stared, making Isaac feel even more uncomfortable.

"He made the long fall!" Feh exclaimed in an impressed voice.

"Master, did you see?" Tsuke asked. "The warrior used Chi! He really did!"

"The warrior's Chi is excellent!" another fighter said aloud. "Are you surprised, Master?"

Master Feh looked to Isaac with a hint of doubt. "Hmm…"

_He couldn't possibly know the truth._ Isaac thought. _Could he?_

"What is wrong, Master?" a female fighter asked.

"Hmm… Warrior, you did make the log fall, I grant you that…" Master Feh nodded. "However, this 'Chi' you claim to use…"

"Well, actually, I don't use…" Isaac started, but Master Feh raised his hand, commanding the Earth Adept to silence.

"Do not interrupt, it is very rude."

"Is something wrong with the warrior's Chi?" Tsuke asked. Isaac suspected Master Feh knew about his technique.

"What you did, warrior… it is not Chi." Feh stated, then nodded in satisfaction at the look on Isaac's face.

"That's right. I don't know Chi." Isaac admitted openly.

"What? It is not Chi?" Tsuke asked.

"Hmm… it looks very similar…" Feh noted, glancing to the log, "but it is not Chi. Hmm…" He looked to Isaac questioningly. "Tell me, warrior, have you been to Fuchin Temple?"

"Yes, we passed through it on the way here." The Venus Adept replied, realising Master Feh had probably figured out the truth.

"Ahh… I knew it." Feh smiled.

"How are Chi and Fuchin Temple related?" Tsuke men asked. "I don't get it… Master Nyunpa does not teach Chi… does he?"

"I learned my Chi from Master Hama of Lama Temple." Feh explained.

"Then it is the same as Chi, is it not?" Tsuke said, looking very confused.

"Very similar, but still different." Feh explained. "You see, Chi concentrates the energy of the body into the hand, and then releases it onto a distant object." He looked to Isaac. "You, warrior, used energy focused from the mind, did you not?"

"Yes, of course. That's exactly how I use my power." Isaac responded, refraining from mentioning Psynergy. However, it seemed Master Feh already knew just what he had done.

"This warrior is very wise." The Kung Fu master informed his students, turning to face them each in turn. "The power to will something to moves requires much wisdom. Remember this… wishing for something is the same as thinking very hard. Fuchin's Ki releases the mind's energy like Chi releases the bodies. The body's energy has limits, but mental energy has few limits." He looked to Isaac. "Train your Ki. It will grow very strong. Do you best, warrior." Then he turned to face his students and called out loudly, "Practice, everyone! Chi has its limits, but anyone can use it. Practice, practice! Until you learn the power of Chi!"

Everyone rushed back to their former positions and began training with redoubled fervour, while Master Feh walked about, observing, chiding a student here, correcting another there. Isaac decided he had had enough of this unexpectedly eventful visit, and left to find his friends. He'd only meant to observe, not get involved.

**XXXXXX**

"Have we got everything?" Isaac asked his companions as they prepared to leave. They all told him they did, and they continued on their way, about to leave Xian. Isaac had told them about his unexpected encounter in the academy, and they had all agreed it was odd, but at least nothing bad had come out of it.

As they reached the gate out of town, Isaac caught sigh of a familiar looking violet haired girl. Feizhi stood with her back to them, staring out at the countryside to the west.

"It's her! It's Feizhi!" Isaac told his companions.

"You mean the one who said she'd gotten her powers from Psynergy Stones?" Ivan asked.

"Yes, her. I thought she'd left. What's she still doing here, I wonder?" Isaac walked up to talk to her and the others followed behind him. Feizhi, hearing their footsteps, turned to look at them. A look of recognition passed her face as she laid eyes upon Isaac.

"You are the foreign warrior from the Dojo, are you not?" she asked.

"Yes, that's me." Isaac replied. She looked at his companions.

"You all have the look of warriors. Tell me, are you strong warriors?"

"You bet we are!" Garet boasted. "Some of the best of the best!"

"I am happy to see strong warriors." she smiled. "I hope you will go west."

"Why do you hope that?" Ivan asked.

"Going west alone is dangerous." she explained. "I must find someone to take me west."

"Hey, we can take you!" Garet offered. "We're always eager to help out a damsel in distress, right, Isaac?"

"Yes, all right. She can come." he sighed. Another travelling companion? Well, she did only need to get to Lama Temple, it wasn't too far.

"Tell us, why is it so unsafe to go west?" Mia asked in a concerned voice. "We're grateful for someone to travel with, but what are we going to run into?"

"The way is dangerous." she replied. "I will need help to cross safely."

"Hey, don't worry, you'll be fine with us!" Garet replied.

"I know I will be." she replied, smiling enigmatically. "Let us be going! We have a long day ahead of us."

**XXXXXXXX**

They made their way steadily west, chatting with Feizhi and getting to know her. She and Mia walked up ahead talking with one another, while Isaac and Ivan walked just behind and Garet trailed last, looking decidedly bored, as he always did on their long walks.

"After this quest is over, I swear, I'll never hike again." Garet was heard muttering to himself, amidst other similar sentences. Feizhi told them about herself. She had lived in Xian all her life with her father, Feh and she had been taught the ancient art of fighting called Kung Fu, and mastering of her "Chi". She was very good, but her father complained that she was too headstrong, had a short temper, and was impatient; attributes her father claimed held her back as a warrior. In those respects, she somewhat reminded Isaac of Jenna.

As it turned out, she knew a surprising amount about them and their quest, which partly explained her desire to travel with them, and her anticipating their arrival. As Isaac had already explained, Feizhi had been struck in the head with a Psynergy Stone, and since then had been having visions of the future. One of those visions was that four mighty warriors, whom the fate of the world hung upon, would pass through, and she had a vague idea of what they looked like.

"I saw Isaac in the Academy, and he looked just like the leader of the group I saw." she explained. "But he was alone, so I assumed he was not the one, but a lone traveller who looked similar."

She and Mia got on the best, and talked with each other the most, while the others only talked in brief snatches. Nobody mentioned anything about how her powers stemmed from Psynergy, and that the stones had made her an Adept. It would be too confusing for her, they reasoned. She was only travelling with them till they found Hsu along the road to Lama Temple.

At one time, Ivan used Mind Read from behind her, and as she turned, he immediately stopped. When Mia asked, Feizhi simply muttered she thought she sensed some power behind her. More proof she was an Adept, if she could feel Psynergy being used. Mia flashed Ivan a look warning him not to do that again.

As they continued walking, Isaac took Ivan aside and asked him what he found in Feizhi's mind.

"Nothing interesting." he replied. "But she was sure she felt some power acting on her, and she suspected it was me. She's an Adept, alright."

"But of what element? I've never heard of the ability to see the future of any elemental Adept." Isaac paused a moment. "If we saw her use any other ability, we could tell, but she's only been an Adept for a couple of weeks. She couldn't possibly yet have the knowledge or training to use her powers, or know any other abilities."

"I'm not sure, but I think she might be a Wind Adept." Ivan replied. "I can't be sure, though. It's just a hunch, a thing I feel about her."

"Well, we might find out sooner or later. She's only accompanying us to the Alpine crossing, or maybe Lama Temple if her friend Hsu is still there, but we'll likely never know."

"I don't suppose it matters." Ivan shrugged. "It's only for a while we'll be with her. It just seems kind of weird meeting a normal person who has been changed into an Adept, when all we've seen so far are animals that have been affected by Psynergy Stones."

"We'll see what happens." Isaac shrugged.

While they were camping for the night, Isaac finally asked just what, specifically, it was that was so dangerous. Nothing had happened to them all day.

"Well, since that day that those gems fell from the sky, the lands have been infested with monsters, no?"

"Yeah, we've run into them." Garet replied in an off-hand manner. "They're easy to deal with. If that's all your worried about, then you don't need to be concerned. You're safe with us; we can take care of them."

"Yes, but I've had visions of something worse." she told him gravely. "Something hunts in these lands."

"Relax, you don't realise just how powerful we are!" Garet grinned widely, stroking the axe by his side.

"Hey, Feizhi." Isaac spoke. "In Xian Academy, it was mentioned that you can sense evil. Have you sensed any pass through or near Xian?"

"Hey, that's a good question, I hadn't thought of that!" Ivan exclaimed.

"No, no evil has passed through Xian." she shook her head.

"Maybe Saturos, Menardi and the others went around Xian?" Ivan suggested.

"It would make sense." Mia noted. "After all, when we asked around at Xian, nobody has seen people matching Saturos and Menardi's looks. And those two stand out fairly well."

"These people you speak of, they are the one you are following?" Feizhi guessed.

"Yes, it's important we stop them. They're very evil." Isaac replied.

"I had envisioned as much." Feizhi replied. "When I saw the four warriors who seek to save the world, I saw that they may yet ensure its destruction."

Ensure its destruction?

"The ones you follow bear items of great power that you seek, and more." she continued. "But their intentions are strangely like and contradicting your own. I saw, nor understood no more.

_Strangely like and contradicting to our own?_ Isaac wondered. _What could that possibly mean? _He could understand the contradiction, they wanted unlimited power and eternal life by releasing Alchemy, and they wanted the opposite. But like? In what ways could their aims be _like_?

"That's really weird, how does that make sense?" Garet asked. "Like AND contradictory? It's impossible!"

"I don't understand myself, warrior." she shrugged. "But my visions have always come true. Always. Their never wrong. Never."

"It's certainly something to think about." Ivan mused.

Isaac sat quietly, thinking it over. But he could come to no conclusion.

**XXXXXXX**

The next day, after a good, hard pace of walking, they sat down to rest and have a quick lunch. It was then that Feizhi, as though listening to something, tilted her head to the side and stopped chewing her food.

"Something is coming." she warned them. "No, many things. Dangerous and evil."

"Another vision?" Ivan ventured, but Feizhi shook her head.

"No, I sense it. They come this way. This is the danger I foresaw. We must prepare to fight!"

They all quickly put their food aside, and drew their weapons, taking battle positions that they were all so familiar with by now. Feizhi joined them, holding her long, wooden walking stick like a fighting staff.

"What are you doing? It's too dangerous, we'll protect you!" Isaac hurriedly told her.

"No, I am no helpless damsel, warrior." she shot back. "I am trained in Kung Fu. I will fight."

Isaac didn't argue, and at any rate, right then monsters appeared over the ridge ahead of them, running towards them. A lot of monsters. A pack of wolves, two dozen of them, just like the ones he and Garet had first encountered after leaving Vale, but there were more now. And they looked bigger. They had needed all their strength to repel those wolves that first night, but they were stronger now. A lot stronger. And there were four of them now. No, five, counting Feizhi.

But wolves weren't the only thing to rush down to meet them. Giant apes, like those in Mogall Forest, came down, five of them. Why were there so many? And working together? They couldn't possibly defeat them all with normal methods, Psynergy would be necessary. Well, Feizhi had to find out their little secret then. Isaac had not time to consider more, the large group came down upon them.

Rays of lightning blasted through the air as Ivan used Psynergy to bring down many of the wolves. Several of them ceased their charge to stop and munch their fried companions. Isaac raised his hands and a roiling quake sphere formed around them, slowing down many monsters and even stopping some others altogether. A huge fiery wall of flames suddenly blazed into life on one side, incinerating four of the wolves and effectively cutting off the others. Garet then sent if slowly away, driving the creatures back lest they get burnt. Then a hail of razor sharp icicles descended upon some of the other creatures point down, courtesy of Mia.

A few of rabid wolves raced towards him, leaping over the flames, with their pointed teeth glistening. Isaac used the Orb of Force to throw one back, while decapitating another with his blade. Isaac then reached out with his Psynergy and the second wolf was impaled by a stone spire that appeared from under its back from within the ground.

From behind him, Garet blasted a couple of the overgrown wolves with a powerful fireball, and then buried his large, double-sided axe in the head of a third. Ivan was hurling wolves away with gusts of wind and whirlwinds, blasting lightning from his Shaman's Rod at any that came to close. Mia was using Psynergy to hurl sharp icicles into the bodies of several wolves, while any that lunged towards her were struck by her Angelic Ankh, and fell to the ground in a thick coating of heavy ice that appeared out of nowhere.

Feizhi, however, moved with a speed and grace that Isaac would have thought impossible from her feminine, nimble frame. She danced in between snapping jaws and swiping paws, striking her pointed fighting staff into the side of the ribs of her assailants, she ducked under leaps driving her staff up into the vulnerable under bellies, leaped over lunges and knocked wolves unconscious with overhead blows. Her assailants seemed unable to touch her as she jumped, dodged and struck vulnerable weak spots.

Now most of the wolves were gathering in one spot just ahead of Isaac, growling ferociously and preparing for a final charge. Such an act seemed to give them some sort of unnatural… intelligence.

Not knowing what precisely he was doing, simply acting instinctively, Isaac formed what he guessed was an involuntary Psynergy against the group of wolves. Harnessing the power of the energy from within the earth beneath their paws, Isaac focused it with his mind, and then released it against their foes.

A bright beam of earthen Venus energy light shot up from the ground, ripping a hole in one wolf's side, then began to expand, encompassing all the wolves while large chunks of rock began floating up in the air in it's field. Then the earth gave up all of its energy, all the rocks and stones in the light exploding in brilliant white light, unleashing their power like a powerful Ragnarok. When the light cleared, all the wolves had been scattered around, many simply blasted into oblivion. Those that were still able to ran off with their tails in their legs. Isaac then saw with surprise that only the five apes remained, seeming unfazed by Isaac's attack.

What was that he had done? Unleashing the power of the earth, the power of Gaia. Gaia. That was the power that some of the Adepts of the Venus Clan had used the old stories said, wasn't it? Before he had time to think further, a giant ape lumbered towards him, and almost struck him in the head before he dodged in time. Focusing his mind again, he generated his Psynergy and used it on the ground under the beast's feet.

Suddenly the seemingly solid earth beneath it tore itself from the ground and lifted up; throwing the creature of balance, and it fell to its back. Isaac continued to raise the solid mass of clumped dirt, and then hurled it back down onto the creature's gut with all his might. The ape gave a cry of agony and sat up, clutching its stomach in pain. Isaac summoned up more of his Psynergy, and blasted it with a final Ragnarok. When the exploding light had faded, Isaac saw that the creature was now dead. He turned his back to the dead ape to see how the others were doing.

Garet was just removing his axe from the back of a very burnt and very dead ape, while Ivan was just sheathing his short sword, the Elven Rapier, but he still gripped his rod tightly before him. Next to him was a slain ape, while nearby was another ape encased entirely in a block of ice, next to which stood Mia, the orb at the end of the golden staff that was her Angelic Ankh still glowing bluely. All three of them had their attention focused entirely on Feizhi.

She was taking on one of the giant apes all by herself. They couldn't help for fear of striking her accidentally. It lunged for her, burly hairy arms outstretched. Feizhi simply ducked at the same time as she struck the beast straight in the softest part of its belly with her staff. Quick as a flash, she ducked and rolled between its legs. As she stood up again behind it, she spun around and stuck the beast in the small of its back. As the ape arched back, howling in pain, she twirled about and struck it in the side of the head. The giant ape spun around, attempting to back hand her with a powerful arm, but she simply ducked under it, then leaped and back flipped away. The ape lumbered forwards, and tried to punch her in the face, but as it did so, she spun, grabbed hold of it's arm from over her shoulder and, using the momentum of its punch, flipped it over her back and onto the ground in front of her, leaving it laying down on its back. Before it had a chance to react, she spun around once and slammed her pointed end down into its throat, breaking its neck with a loud snap.

"Woah! That was amazing!" Garet exclaimed as he realised a non-Adept had defeated such a powerful, Psynergy infused monster.

"Thank you, warrior! I am an expert at Kung Fu, and know how to use Chi." she replied with a smile, spinning around to face him, and flicking her long, intricate violet braid over her shoulder. "But the powers that you used. What were they? They were like things that I've heard before in stories come to life. You must explain."

"Well, that's a long story, and there's a lot to tell." Ivan replied with a shake of his head, blonde mop of a fringe once again dangling in front of his purple eyes.

"But we'll explain as best we can." Mia told her with a friendly smile.

"There are still a long way to and half the day left." Isaac told them. "We'll explain on the way."

**XXXXXXXX**

As the Silk Road began to wind through the large hills and soon small mountains, Isaac knew they were nearing the Alpine Crossing. The road was steadily making its way into the steep, rocky valley that was the crossing, where the road divided in two, the Silk Road that continued on its way west through the valley, and a less travelled road branching off to the solitary mining town of Altin.

They'd just finished explaining to Feizhi the rather exhaustive explanation of Alchemy, Psynergy, Adepts and all things related, although her large green eyes still swam with confusion, indicating she still had many questions. She seemed about to ask something when she stopped, began staring straight ahead and biting her lower lip, as though in deep thought of internally debating with herself.

"Hsu is nearby. This is where we will find him." she suddenly informed them. "This is the reason he is late from returning from Lama temple."

"Are you sure?" Ivan asked inquisitively. "Is it one of your… visions?"

"Yes, you are right, warrior." Then Feizhi dashed ahead of them down the Silk Road in between the valley's sheer walls. They followed behind her, although it was not quite as fast as the nimble female. She rounded a bend in the road and disappeared behind the valley's curving cliff wall.

"Silk Road! There are boulders blocking the road!" They heard her screech. The four Adepts rounded the bend and found her standing in front of a massive landslide of boulders and rubble that entirely blocked their passage though.

"My vision… it was true!" she murmured to herself, then began calling out, "Hsu! Hsu!" There was a moment's pause, then, "It is no good. I cannot hear Hsu's voice!"

There was absolutely no possible way they could climb over those boulders in their way. They were big and unstable, unclimbable. And the sheer sides of the valley didn't look in the least bit at all stable. Isaac thought the slightest tremor would set of another landslide.

Far too dangerous to attempt climbing over, assuming it was even remotely possible. Isaac could use Psynergy to attempt to make a way through, but he already knew it was impossible. Even ignoring the fact he'd probably bury himself accidentally in another landslide, there were a lot of boulders, and the landslide was thick. He could totally exhaust himself trying to make a dent in there. It would take an entire team of men, a large team, working all day non-stop days before it was passable. They had no way of getting past.

"All this way and now we can't go after them?" Isaac growled to himself in frustration. "By the time we get past, they'll be a whole _week_ ahead of us!" He felt that they might as well not even bother chasing Saturos and Menardi when they were that far behind.

"Hsu is in danger." Feizhi murmured softly, ignoring the others. "I can sense it. I must find him soon."

"I can't believe it!" Ivan exclaimed. "The Silk Road has never been closed off! Never!"

"This is such a stupid thing to have to stop our quest!" Garet spat, stamping his foot for effect.

"Hey, Isaac." Mia started. "Don't you think it just a bit suspicious that this landslide happens _before_ we get past, but _after_ Saturos and his cronies get through? Even though Ivan said that it's never happened before?"

"You know, you're right. It looks to me like they're trying to get rid of us."

"That is right, healer; the Silk Road had never collapsed in our memory." Feizhi suddenly stated, turning to face them. "The Alpine Crossing has always been so stable. It would seem to be the work of those evil ones whom you follow, no? Perhaps they used this 'Psynergy'" she pronounced the word uncertainly, "that you spoke off. The earth kind."

"You mean Venus." Isaac filled in.

"Yes, but it does not matter." She turned to face the rockslide despondently. "Hsu is trapped somewhere on the other side and I cannot reach him. What do I do? Going back is not option. I must find Hsu." She turned to glare at the rock wall, as though she believed she could just will it away.

"What are we going to do?" Mia moaned. "There must be someway past here."

"No, healer. The way is blocked." Feizhi replied over her shoulder. "I have seen it. We cannot pass."

"But there must be someway around." Ivan insisted. "Is this the only way?"

"Well…" Feizhi paused for a second. "Some of the miners who occasionally visit Xian say that the mines of Altin reach so far into the mountains that in some places the holes reappear on the other side…"

"So there _is_ another path!" Garet exclaimed. "Through the mines of Altin!"

"Let's hurry!" Isaac shouted. "To the mines! We can still catch up to them!"

"Wait!" Feizhi called out to them as they were about to leave. "The mines are impassable! Altin is flooded!"

"I don't care, we have to try!" Isaac responded. "I can clearly see there's no way through here, but at least there may be a hope up there!"

"Your hopes are sunk, warrior. There, the water will never be dried by the light of the sun."

"Well, anything is better than staying here." Isaac shot back. "You can come with us if you want. If we get to the other side, you'll be able to find Hsu." She seemed to consider this for a moment, considering her options.

"Well… there is nothing I can do here…" she looked at Isaac. "I had a vision that the town of Altin was flooded. But, I saw no vision indicating the water would stay there forever. Mayhap you will find a way." She looked at Mia. "Besides, healer, I would miss our conversations. They have been most pleasant."

"Then you're coming with us?" Mia asked hopefully. Feizhi nodded. "Thank you! It will be good to have you with us! We'll find Hsu, somehow, I promise."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Garet asked. "Let's go!"

And so the party, now made up with five Adepts, began heading north, to the flooded mines of Altin.

**A/N: **And that's another wrap! Did ya like it? Was Feizhi a nice addition to things? Do you think it'll be nice to have her tag along for the mines chapter, or should random bandits appearing out of nowhere waylay her and remove her from the group? I thought she deserved to be included, I mean she appears at the crossing at the same time as you do in the game, and Lama Temple like 5 minutes after you, so why not just have her with them? Besides, what was she doing while she was waiting for Hsu, twiddling her thumbs? Silly girl, why do you chase after him, he's a fat, useless, minor character! Forget him, let him die there, who cares?

Well, you all know the routine now, so I won't bother saying "Review me!". Oh, whoops, just did!

Heh, I'm looking forward to the next one, I think it'll be good! Plenty of action and such with those nasty statue things. And the deep, dark, terrible mines of Altin. This momentous decision kinda makes me think of LotR

"If we cannot go over the mountains," Garet suggested, let us go under it! Let us pass through the mines of Altin!"

No, Garet, son of whoever your dad is," Isaac replied, "I would not go through the mines unless I had no other choice!"

"Let the ringbearer decide!" Mia suggested.  
"Let us go through the mines!" Ivan declared

"Don't I get to say anything?" Feizhi whined.

"I wanna come to!" Hsu added.

…

…

… Um, yeah… forgive me, I haven't had my morning coffee as of writing this. My mind tends to wander.

Okay, one last thing I oughta point out. Because x-mas time is coming up (yay!) and I work in retail (boo!) I'll be working a lot more now, so that means less time to write, so I may not be able to update as fast over the next couple of months, sorry. I'll do my best, but yeah. So if this doesn't get updated for a while, don't worry, I haven't given up, I'm still working at it, I'm just a wee bit busy, is all.

Anyway, better end things now. You all know what to do. See ya (hopefully) soon!


	16. The Mines of Altin

Hi everyone! Yes, it's another update! And pretty quick, too! And to think, I had you all worried that this one would be late… oh well, thank you to all those who reviewed and gave me their thoughts and opinions. Much appreciated. Well, it seems that everyone likes Feizhi! I'm surprised how popular her appearance was. And just for that, she stars once again in this chapter! But first, to those reviewers…

**Unclever Title: **Ah, thank you for correcting my poor use of the word "mayhap". It shall not be used again by those of Xian birth. I honestly never knew that. My knowledge of that sort of stuff is rather meagre. But oh well. It shall be kept in thy mind! Glad you like Feizhi, and don't worry about the boulders. Said boulders are to be seen in this chapter of thy story, lol.

**Corycian Muse: **Yes, you're right, she doesn't get enough development, does she? It was partly inspired by your making her a major character in your own fic, but I had been planning on including her for a long time before hand, anyway. Heh, yes, Ivan did seem right for the ringbearer part… but that's beside the point. Dunno if I can be cruel to Hsu, but I'll do my best… or maybe I'll be merciful, and let him go free… we'll see. Still, even ignoring the large ocean problem, I wouldn't recommend going to my retail store, anyway. It's a craphole, we just sell garbage, don't waste your hardearned (or ill-gotten if that be the case) dollars (or pounds as you brits use… I think) on our worthless merchandise during the pointless x-mas season. Save yourself, run away! But, um, yes… there's more to a review reply than complaining about where I work… which I do often. Ah well, thank you for reviewing anyway, oh queen of GS fandom, whose skills doth surpass mine own in every conceivable way, ye mistress of Corycia… (just ignore that, I'm in a funny mood today!)

**Mercury Gold: **Hey, don't worry about the time taken in reviewing. It was in before the next update, so that's good enough for me. Glad you like the whole Feizhi thing (another one!) Well, hope the wait didn't literally kill you… the update wasn't too long, was it? Ah well, hope you enjoy it all. Thank for reviewing!

**Spirit Seer: **Thank you! I do my best. Yes, Feizhi shall stay with the crew, but not for only for a couple of chaps. Glad you like her, she didn't really get much development in the game, so I plan to give her some! Heh, that LotR bit at the end was just something random that popped into my head. I think I read a parody once of LotR by the GS crew somewhere on the site. Can't remember where now, though. Heh, this one might seem a tad childish, but then maybe that might just be me. Anyhoo, thank you as always for your review and critiques and all!

**Floran Black: **Even though you reviewed chap 2, I'm assuming you'll read up to here. You make a good point about that history stuff. In my defence I can say only that I was younger and less experienced then. Might go back someday and change that. Well, thanx for your review!

**Kd7sov: **Cool, glad you liked that part! That word (Kiuan) was just something I pulled out of nowhere, I don't think it was really anything that actually means anything whatsoever. Thanks for that constructive criticism you mentioned the last sentence bit. I'll go back and polish them up when I get the time. That thing that Kraden said about the Psynergy Stones was a reference to (I think) chapter 3 WAY back when he mentined that the stone could turn normal people into adepts or something. I don't remember the specifics of what I wrote there, even though I should, but oh well. Yes, Gaia is pretty cool, isn't it? I can't remember if you learn it in the game at approximately that point, but it matter not too much I guess. Yes, I also wondered about the landslide bit. I considered writing it from their PoV, but I couldn't come up with anything. I figured it might be a combination of Felix using earthquake and Alex using water Psynergy in some way to loosen boulders. Maybe. Who knows? Yes, into the mines… of Altin! As per usual, appreciate your feedback!

**SpasticDjinn: **Ahh…. My favourite slightly psychopathic evildoer. As for your request… I'll see what pain I can inflict. I have hypothesised the possibility of highly testosterised carnivorous hamsters being used to dismember him slowly and painfully, plus the creative use of sharp cooking utensils, but… we'll see what happens, lol. Anything you can add shall be used to the utmost of its abilities!

**GoldenSunGeek: **Thank you, yes Feizhi shall stay! And I shall continue writing, you need not fear! Hope this wasn't too long for ya. And don't worry about that little idea… you'll see the first few hints surface in here…

**ElementalSpirit1: **Ah, cool. Another person who likes the way I added Feizhi… she seems to be popular. Yes, I kept it as Hsu in stead of Ulmoch, which I don't like. Besides, Hsu sounds more oriental, while Ulmoch doesn't. I think.Yes, verily, there shall be more battles! There are three major ones in here! Hope you are satisfied! Hope the wait wasn't too long. Thanx, of course, for your review.

**A/N:** Okay, then. So, like I said, Feizhi shall tag along for the mines, due to everyone's insistence that it be so. Not a one of you said she shouldn't. You see, reviews have power! Use it wisely, my friends…

So, hope you like this chapter and all that. Now get reading!

**Disclaimer:** Bah, what do you think?

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**THE MINES OF ALTIN**

When Isaac and his companions, accompanied by Feizhi, arrived in the mining town of Altin, he saw immediately what the girl from Xian had mean when she said they couldn't possibly get through the mine. As Ivan had explained, Altin was a town that thrived, and depended upon entirely, its mining industry. By selling stone, valuable metals and rare ores and gems, the townspeople had made a steady, thriving trade beaten only by Xian's silks. Ivan and Master Hammet had come here regularly to purchase goods which they then sold for a good profit in other towns such as Kalay and Tolbi, so he knew the town well, but had never known about the mines rumoured secret passages to the other side of the mountains.

The town itself was gouged out of a massive crater in both the mountain side and the ground beneath it. Isaac saw that this hole was in fact a giant quarry, steadily rising up to ground level in ever widening concentric circles. All along the edges of this quarry were many homes and buildings, some built out of wood, others from holes dug in the ground. Ivan had already informed them the entrances to the Mines of Altin were at the lower levels of the city, and hence the quarry.

But the entire pit, and all the townhouses within it, had been completely flooded with water. All but the uppermost two buildings had now been submerged. The two wooden buildings were what appeared to be the town sanctum and the double story inn. All around, a massive tent city had sprung up, and what must have been the town's entire population were milling about the shores of this newly formed lake. How could so much water have flooded out Altin? There were no nearby lakes or rivers, the ocean was miles away, and there had been no rainfall over the last few days, certainly not a torrential downpour that would be necessary to fill up this gigantic basin. Isaac didn't even believe that it was possible for there to be that much rainfall in any one spot. And somewhere, beneath that half mile or so of deep water, were the mines that they had intended to reach.

"It is just as I foresaw!" Feizhi said. "A town full of water, surrounded by a city of tents!"

"This is even more hopeless than that stupid alpine crossing." Garet muttered as he surveyed the situation. "How are we meant to get through this?"

"When you said that Altin was flooded," Ivan said to Feizhi, his purple eyes surveyed the scene. "I couldn't possibly have imagined that it was this bad!"

"Where could all this water have possibly come from?" Mia spoke softly.

"You lot new in Altin?" a deep, gruff voice asked from behind them. They turned to see a burly, bearded fellow, obviously one of the town's miners, standing behind them. Despite the situation, he seemed to be in good spirits.

"Yes, we are." Isaac replied. "What exactly happened here?"

"Well, nuthin' but a major disaster!" the miner grinned in a friendly way. "Guess we must look a lot like one o' them coastal towns, huh?"

"I'll say!" Garet interjected. "I've never seen so much water in one spot like this in all my life!"

"Nuthin' gets past you!" the miner noted, stroking his beard. "All this happened the day after all those gems fell from the sky!"

"Gems from the sky?" Ivan asked. He could only have been referring to the Psynergy Stones blasted from Mount Aleph.

"Yeah, you remember those things? Shame no one was able to find one to keep, they all just seemed to vanish. Anyhow, after that, these strange creatures appeared and started spewing water out into our town."

"Monsters made all this water!" Mia exclaimed. "Where are they now?"

"Right over there." The miner pointed across the artificial lake to the other side where they could see a blue-frog like creature emitting a steady stream of water into the flood before it. "No one knows quite what the heck it is, or where it came from, but it just keeps on spitting out water." Isaac noticed now that the monster, whatever it was or once had been, was in fact glowing with Psynergy as it generated water out of nothing like Mia.

"Some of the lads reckon they look a lot like them guardian statues found deep in the mines." The miner continued. "Where all that water comes from, no one round here knows. Just seems to be makin' it out of nothing. No ones able to move it. Everyone who gets close just cops a blast of water right in the face that sends 'em flying back, then it goes right back to flooding us out. There seems to be nuthin' we can do."

"That's awful…" Mia murmured.

"My vision showed no way to help." Feihi said with a hint of sadness.

"You said there were more of these things, but I can only see one." Isaac said. "Where are the others?"

"There're two others in the actual mines themselves, where they first appeared." The miner told him as he gazed at the seemingly unstoppable, water-spewing monster. "Some of the lads found 'em while they were working in there, trying to flood the place out. Monsters probably drowned in there, and if so, good riddance. Just that one came out to terrorise us. If only someone could find a way to kill 'em, then hopefully the water should just dry out. Otherwise… we might have to think about leaving…"

Isaac wasn't exactly sure about that. He remembered that Feizhi had said that the sunlight wouldn't dry this flood out. But then, if this flood was created with Psynergy-formed water, then maybe slaying the beast might just…

"Hey, Mia. Where are you going?" Ivan suddenly asked. Mia was stomping off, away from the shocked miner and around the flood's edge towards the monster, where it stood pouring forth its unending supply of water.

"I'm going to put a stop to this thing." The Water Adept called out over her shoulder, while the others hurried to follow her.

"Yeah, let's take out this thing! Garet declared eagerly.

"That miner said they looked like some guardian statues they found." Isaac mused. "I wonder what he meant by that…"

"I think we'll have to ask about that later on." Ivan replied. "Meanwhile, I think we should just see if we can get rid of it."

As they approached the water beasts, Isaac got a good look at it. It was rather frog-like in appearance, but its body certainly didn't look like it had been a statue. It was a blackish dark blue, with red spikes protruding from its back and thighs. It had unintelligent, mad looking red eyes and its hide was rough and scaly, not smooth and slimy like a real frogs. It was huge and very heavy looking and even taller than Garet was.

As soon as they approached it, the thick stream of water stopped gushing out of its froglike mouth, and the light blue glow of Psynergy about its body that was only visible to Adept's eyes vanished. It turned to look at them with animalistic eyes, as though considering them. Mia raised her staff in front of her, and Isaac realised she was preparing to deflect or freeze any blasts of water with her Psynergy if it attacked them.

There was no one nearby, the people of Altin were all clustered away on the opposite shore from the monster, but none the less they would see any Psynergy they used and no doubt be puzzled. But the beast, perhaps sensing their not inconsiderable powers, turned around and bounded away frog-like from them towards a nearby cave. As it bounced, it landed heavily on the ground, causing it to shake violently with each landing.

"Woah, that's one heavy creature!" Garet remarked as the ground vibrated beneath him.

"That's not anywhere near as serious as what Isaac can generate without even trying." Ivan said.

"No, but it is a lot worse than any creature that size should be able to create simply by jumping." Isaac responded. "As though it were made of stone…"

"Never mind about that now." Mia spoke up. "It's trapped in there! Let's get it!"

"Yes, Mia!" Feizhi agreed. "Let us fight it together!"

"You two seem a little eager to take it on." Isaac noted.

"Well, I can't stand by and watch as innocent people are driven out of their homes." she told them in a chilly voice. "It's a healer's job to help people in need; however she has to do it."

"We should all do our part to help out these people." Feizhi said.

They entered the dark, damp cave, and found the water beast standing at the end, facing them and with no place to run. They had it now. It was quite clearly prepared to defend itself.

Its wide open mouth opened to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth, before the beast used Psynergy and from somewhere deep inside itself, water formed, gushing out at them. Mia raised her Ankh, glowing light-blue with Psynergy, and the water froze into ice before reaching them, shattering as it fell to the ground.

Immediately, Ivan raised his Shaman's Rod, and blasted a bolt of lightning right at the creature, sending searing electricity down its throat. Standing still, momentarily dazed, the creature suddenly exploded in flames as Garet raised a hand and cast a powerful, new Psynergy, creating a flaming explosion, actually inside the beast.

Isaac raised his hand, and a powerful stone spike rent itself from the ground beneath the beast, and drove itself up into its unprotected belly. As watery blood began to trickle down out of the wound, the creature's frog-like legs gave way under its weight, driving its body further down. The monster gave one last, gurgling cry, and then died. Its body then suddenly solidified into stone, leaving only a broken statue behind.

"Did we kill it?" Ivan asked.

"Looks pretty dead to me." Garet shrugged. "It sure ain't alive at least." He gave the stone statue a little kick to be sure.

"Wow!" Feizhi gasped, impressed. "You really are powerful warriors! Especially you, Isaac!"

"Uh, thank you!" Isaac replied a little embarrassed. "Hey, Mia, now that this thing is dead, shouldn't all the water it spewed out as well disappear as well?"

"I think so." Mia replied. "When an Adept of the Mercury Clan creates water out of nothing with their Psynergy, it is somehow bound to their life force. The water created is somehow not real, so it doesn't taste good, or even quench your thirst. Without the life force necessary to sustain its existence, the water should just vanish."

"Well, let's go see then!" Garet suggested, and the tall, spiky haired Fire Adept left he cave to view Altin. Isaac and the others followed suite to see for themselves.

Outside, they found that the water level had now dropped to about half of it previous level, leaving the larger, outer rim of the town of Altin unsubmerged once more. Already dozens of people had descended upon the town again, searching homes and cleaning up the mess left behind. Fortunately, nobody was paying any attention to them, or the point where the water best should have been, for now.

"Hey, the mine's opening is reachable now!" Garet exclaimed. At a point just a few metres above the new water level, was a squarish hole in the side of the cliff leading deep into the ground. From the mine entrance ran two parallel steel tracks that Isaac assumed were the "cart tracks" that Ivan had described to them when telling them about his previous trips to Altin with Master Hammet.

"You did it, warriors!" Feizhi exclaimed gleefully, clapping her hands together, "Well done!"

"I guess we'll have to go in there if we want to get to the other side of these mountains." Isaac said.

"Wait a second, the lower half of the town s till flooded!" Ivan pointed out. "That means that we should only be able to reach the upper levels of the mine!"

"Well, that's great," Garet began sarcastically, "except we need to find a way to get to the lower levels to reach this supposed passageway."

"Wait, did not the miner say that there were more of the water beasts inside the mines?" Feizhi asked, reminding them.

"So, we'll have to go in there and kill the rest of them just to drain the mines of water?" Garet realised. "Doesn't sound too hard, that last one didn't put up much of a fight."

"Well, I think it's a good thing to do, just out of the kindness of our hearts." Mia declared. "Helping the people of Altin as they are. Working hard for the benefit of others is the greatest act of nobility, that's what I always say."

"We don't seem to have any choice, anyway." Ivan stated. "If we want to go after Saturos and Menardi."

"Well, then," Isaac started, "let's go in." While the townspeople were busy fussing over their homes and belongings, Isaac and his companions entered the mines of Altin unnoticed. As they made their way through the rocky caverns, it grew progressively darker until it became necessary for Garet to light a torch with his Psynergy. They made their way through silently, save for the sound of their footsteps echoing in the dark caverns ahead of them. They weren't sure of what they were going to find inside these mines, so they tried to make little noise, to prevent them from being noticed by whatever may have been in there.

Although the passage branched off in several directions at a number of points, they followed the mine cart tracks along the main route as it sloped steadily down, deeper into the mountains. After what felt like hours, but was probably no more then a half hour, Ivan stopped and whispered, "Wait, do you hear that?"

They all stopped and listened.

"I hear it, too." Feizhi said softly.

Soon, Isaac heard it too. The sound of splashing water echoing up the mine caverns. Isaac was sure that could only be one thing. Images of that water beast from outside the mine filled his head. None of them needed to read minds to know what the rest was thinking. They went on cautiously, weapons drawn. Eventually, they reached the lowest accessible point, where the water level was. They couldn't get any closer to their goal now. Now, they had to find the water beast and kill it to get any further. They followed the sound along the caverns, turning off to leave the rail cart track behind them as they pursued the noise deeper into the gut rock. After a while of walking, Garet started complaining.

"We've been walking for ages!" he moaned. "We just keep getting deeper and deeper."

"Just keep quiet, Garet." Isaac warned his impatient friend. "I'm sure we're almost there."

"Hey, I think we may have found a way to get there quickly." Ivan told the others. "Look, a mine cart!"

There, ahead of them, a new set of mine cart tracks began, with a steel mine cart right there at the start.

"Ivan, are you suggesting we ride down in that?" Mia asked. The tracks did go down at a steady slope.

"Sure, why not?" the short Wind Adept shrugged. "We'll get there quicker."

"What about the noise?" Isaac warned. "Wouldn't that attract the monsters?"

"Ah, bring 'em on!" Garet scoffed. "We can take 'em!" He gripped his battle-axe before him for effect and smirked.

"Aside from Garet's bluster," Mia began with a glower to the taller, muscle bound Adept, who simply ignored the white robed healer, "we haven't seen any monsters in here any way. We should be fine."

"You are quite right, Mia." Feizhi said. "This mine was just flooded, they would not have returned so quickly!"

"Well, let's hope in and see where it takes us!" Isaac shrugged. All five of them managed to, with some difficulty, all fit in the metal cart, which held just enough room for them all. For some reason, Isaac found Feizhi jostling to sit next to him. Once they were all on, he set it into motion, and the cart rolled down the slope on it's parallel steel tracks, and soon they were hurtling down the stone passageway full throttle, the still air of the mine rushing against their faces, the rocky walls a mere blur about them. It was while they were going at full speed that Isaac suddenly wondered with a feeling of dread just how they were going to stop. Fortunately, just before the words formed on his tongue, the surface levelled out and the cart rolled gently to a smooth stop.

They were now in a large cavern, half filled with water. The mine cart had stopped on a large ledge just above water level, although it wasn't to remain that way for long. On the far side across the deep water on another ledge, sat another frog-like water beast, a living statue as it were, steadily guzzling out water from its mouth into the ever deepening pool.

"Hey, weren't these things supposed to originally be 'guardian statues'?" Garet asked as he clambered out of the mine cart. "Because they're not doing a very good job of it."

"I don't think they were ever meant to guard the people of Altin." Ivan replied gravely as he joined Garet. "I'm guessing they were originally built to guard something else altogether."

"The magic gems falling from the sky have filled them with evil." Feizhi told them. "I can sense it within them." She left the cart with Mia and joined them.

"I don't care what they guard; they aren't going to be harming any more townspeople." Mia declared as she stood by Isaac, brushing coal dust off of her white dress with light blue patterns on it.

"You dedication to helping overs is honourable, Mia." Feizhi said to the Mercury Adept. "I admire that about you."

"Thank you, Feizhi!" she smiled in delight. "I admire you, too. You're so strong, and skilful!"

"Ladies, please, we're about to engage in a life or death battle, here!" Garet said, interrupting their conversation.

The water beast across from them was still sitting there, spitting out a thick stream of water formed by Psynergy. Water Psynergy. If it was in any way aware of their arrival, it gave no indication of it. It was in exactly the same position it had been in when they had first arrived, for all the world as though the four Adepts across from it didn't exist.

"I will fight alongside you, warriors!" Feizhi declared in a strong tone. "This evil thing should not be allowed to live!"

"With that Kung Fu of yours, I'd be glad to have you ad our side!" Garet said with a smile. He then began to focus his Psynergy, the air about him warming as sparks and flames crackled within the palms of his hands. "Let's see what this thing's made of!" he spoke through clenched teeth.

He raise his hands palm outward towards the monster, gathering his power and focusing intense heat and flame before him. By now, the water beast had ceased its water guzzling to stare at him with a look of blank stupidity.

Garet unleashed his attack, a powerful column of fire like a heatwave blasting towards the creature. Reacting with a speed unbecoming of its appearance, the water beasts opened its mouth and shot out a powerful blast of Psynergetically formed water right back at him. The two opposing forces collided with one another midway, sending steam and shockwaves out and causing the flood of water to ripple violently beneath. But the powerful jet of water steadily pushed back Garet's fiery onslaught until it was only just held back by the burly Mars Adept.

"I can't hold it back!" he shouted out. He should have known better than to expect fire to compete well against water.

"I've got it!" Mia called back, raising her Angelic Ankh in front of her and focusing her Psynergy through it, causing the orb to brightly glow blue. Before her, the jet of water suddenly froze into ice. It broke off and fell to the water with a splash, sinking below the surface. Garet let his fire attack vanish.

Ivan quickly joined her, unleashing a powerful bolt of lightning at the monster and shocking it into a pause, preventing it from launching a counter-attack. The blast of thunder from it echoed loudly down the mines corridors. Sensing an opportunity to attack, Isaac raised his hand, and large chunks of rock tore themselves from the roof and fell heavily downwards.

Recovering faster than the Venus Adept would have expected; the water best leapt out of the way of the rocky avalanche before it crashed down, and into the large, deep pool of water with a large splash, swimming down to safety.

"We've got it, now!" Ivan crowed, pointing his rod at the water. He unleashed several bright, powerful bolts of liquid plasma into the water. Beneath the surface, the water beasts roared in pain as it was electrocuted.

Immediately after Ivan ceased his attack, the creature began kicking its legs behind it and swam quickly for the surface.

"You aren't getting away that easily." Mia growled icily. She raised her hand above the water, and her Psynergy froze a thick sheet of ice over where the water beast was just about to leave. It slammed heavily into the underside, causing a large crack to appear, and floated back.

"Quick, Ivan! Hit it again!" Isaac shouted.

Powerful bolts of lightning Psynergy arced from the Wind Adept's Shaman's Rod to the water, but it seemed it already had another idea. As Psynergy formed about the monster beneath the surface, a thick sheet of ice suddenly formed atop the water above it, where Ivan's lightning bolt exploded harmlessly.

Before any of the other Adept's had a chance to react, the water beast then quickly swam up and out of the water between the two blocks of ice and landed straight for Ivan. Isaac was only barely able to use his Orb of Force to shove the small Jupiter Adept out of the way before he was crushed beneath its considerable weight.

The ground trembled as it landed heavily, Ivan skidding to a halt out of its way. Feizhi jumped at it with her fighting staff, landing a hard blow atop its head. The Water Beasts didn't so much as flinch from the strike. She tied several kicks and punches, but it's tough, leathery hide absorbed them all without any apparent effect.

Turning its attention to the young Xian fighter, the beast opened its mouth to unleash a water blast, when Feizhi, a look of fright upon her face, shielded herself with her hands.

"Eek!" A powerful blast of bright white lightning flew from her hands and struck the beasts, sending it back several steps. Eyes closed tight, Feizhi sent several more blasts towards it, then finally stopped and opened her eyes.

"Did I get it?" The water beast had been severely injured, large burns covering its body, watery blood leaking out all over.

Garet then appeared, lunging for the monster with his battle-axe, fire spewing forth from his hand. The fire rolled harmlessly of the creature's wet skin, and then it retaliated by throwing Garet back with a powerful jet of water before the Mars Adept was able to use his ace on it.

As Garet slammed into a rocky wall with a grunt, Isaac pointed his outstretched palm towards the beast, forming a powerful Ragnarok with his Psynergy. A phantom blade of glowing white light, made of pure Psynergetic energy shot out at the monster, exploding on its bulk with a brilliant white flash sending off sparks of energy. As the light faded, it revealed a wounded and bleeding water beast glaring at Isaac and readying for another assault.

At that moment, Mia appeared at his side and from her hand, shards of sharp, little icicles formed, flying into the creature's hide and embedding themselves within, drawing out some of the monster's watery blood.

Not wasting a second, Isaac raised his hand and a pointed stone spire broke of from the roof and impaled the water beasts in the back of the neck. The creature collapsed, groaned in agony for a moment, then died.

"All right, we got him!" Garet cheered as he rejoined the others, clutching his bruised chest.

The water beast solidified into stone, returning to its original statue form.

"It nearly got me, though." Ivan muttered as he joined them.

"I better take a look at you, Ivan, but after I've healed Garet." Mia told him. "He took a heavy blow."

"Relax, I'm fine." Garet replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I've taken worse blows before." Mia refused to accept his answer, and deliberately cupped his face in her hands and focused her Ply ability into him. Instantly, the bruises on his chest began to fade as they healed. Behind them, the stone statue they had just killed began to break and crumble apart.

"What was that I did?" Feizhi asked in confusion, staring at her hands with uncertainty in her purple eyes.

"You created lightning with you Psynergy." Ivan explained.

"But how did I do it? I've never done that before!"

"I can teach you." Ivan offered. "Remember, you're a Jupiter Adept like me, so I could probably show you a lot of new tricks. I could even teach you how to read minds!"

She smiled at him, letting her hands hang down again. "Thank you, warrior, that would be very nice. Would you like to help me, Isaac?"

"It's probably better that you let Ivan do it." He replied. "An Earth Adept can't show you much about Wind Psynergy."

"Oh." She frowned slightly, and then looked away.

_What was that all about? _He wondered.

Once Garet was fixed, Mia quickly checked Ivan, decided he was fine, and they readied themselves to begin moving again. All around them, the water level sunk down as the water formed by Psynergy vanished without the life-force of its creator to maintain it. Soon, the entire chamber was empty and the echoes of the draining water in other parts of the mine ceased.

"Let's get moving." Isaac suggested. "We can get down to the lower parts now. We should be getting close to the shaft that leads to the other side of the mountains."

They made their way down to the bottom of the pit that only minutes before had been full of water. They could now access new tunnels that led even deeper into the mine. They wandered down the dark passage from some time before they came to yet another set of mine cart tracks, with a mine cart conveniently resting nearby at the beginning. There were three separate ways that they could go, but they all agreed to follow the mine cart tracks as they followed the main route and had the greatest chance of taking them to the desired exit.

Riding the steel cart like before, they quickly and speedily rolled along the parallel tracks. When they reached the end, the found they had two ways to go. There was another passage that continued on deeper off to the side, while opposite that the room they were in opened out into a large pit, the bottom of which levelled out to show two opposing passageways with another mine cart track running between them.

"I'm beginning to think we might be lost." Garet said slowly, looking around.

"Which way do we go?" Mia asked.

"That way seemed to follow on from the path we were just following," Ivan pointed out to the passage to their side, "but down there seems to be one of the main routes. It probably links up with other parts of the mine. Hmm… Isaac, what do you think?"

Isaac looked around and considered their options. "I'm not sure." He admitted with a shrug. "I've lost all sense of direction, and I can't feel the earth's surface from this deep." He paused for a moment, stroking his chin in thought. Which way to go?

"That way." Feizhi declared without the slightest hint of doubt, pointing to the passage off to the side, away from the pit.

"How can you be so sure?" Ivan asked.

"It's another vision, isn't it?" Mia guessed. "You've seen where it is we have to go, haven't you?"

"You know me too well, Mia!" she replied, smiling sweetly. "Yes, that is the way. If we go this way, then our path to freedom will open."

"Well, whatever you say." Garet shrugged, beginning down the rocky passage. "Let's see where this goes." It was too dark to see to the end, even with the added light of Garet's torch, but as they made their way down, they quickly discovered what the end looked like. It was a dead end.

It seemed that the miners had apparently given up on this particular dig. A nearby sign seemed to indicate it was dangerous and unstable here.

'_Caution! Fragile earth, do not dig here, tunnel may collapse.' _it read.

"Well, that's great!" Garet exclaimed sarcastically. "We came all this way and it's a dead end!"

"I don't understand." Feizhi said softly, in total confusion. "My vision said the way would open if we went down this tunnel. My visions are never wrong, I don't understand!"

Garet kicked a nearby wall in frustration. "Are we ever gonna get out of here?"

"Garet, be careful there…" Isaac cautioned his rash friend, looking carefully at the fragile rockwork. He could feel it in the earth that it wasn't holding together very well. Heck, he could _see_ it wasn't holding out well!

"What?" Garet asked. "I'm just saying! What if the rest of the mine had dead ends like this?" Above the rock cracked a little more.

"Never mind." Isaac said hurriedly. "Let's just get out of here!" The ceiling broke a little more, showering them in dust. It was only seconds from collapse.

"Run!" he shouted, before turning heel and sprinting full pelt down the corridor, with the others right beside him. Behind them, a large crash was heard, echoing down the corridor. Isaac risked a look behind him. Behind them, a large boulder was rolling right behind them, and quickly gaining speed! At this rate, they couldn't possibly hope to outrun it. The end of the corridor was just ahead. If they could just keep out of the boulders reach a little further…

Exiting the dangerous tunnel, Isaac leapt to the side and out of harms way, accompanied by Mia and Feizhi. Behind them, Garet and Ivan leapt out of the way likewise on the opposite side.

There was a rush of air a split second after he landed as the boulder passed them by, rolling of their little edge, and into the pit below with the new cart tracks. A moment's silence hung in the air, then an incredibly loud crash was heard as the boulder collided with the ground at high speed, with the chamber shaking violently and echoes confusing the noise they heard.

Isaac sat there for a few seconds as the echoes of the noise faded, then turned to face the others. He was about to open his mouth to say something to Garet, when a bone-chilling roar was heard, shattering the silence and echoing loudly down the solitary mine tunnels.

"What was that?" Mia whispered fearfully, her blue eyes looking into Isaac's blue pupils. Feizhi screeched slightly, and clung on to his arm and hid behind his back as though looking for protection.

_Can't she protect herself? _He thought. Isaac shrugged silently in response to Mia's question, and crept to the edge to look over the side, followed closely by a clinging Feizhi and Mia. There was a huge hole in the ground where the cart tracks used to run, sinking deep into the darkness.

"I don't like the sound of that!" Garet moaned, looking over.

"Sounds like another water beast." Ivan commented as he joined the Fire Adept. "But it's a lot louder than those other ones…"

"We'd better check it out." Isaac declared. "We don't want it coming up behind us at some point. Besides, if the tunnel to the other side is still submerged, we'll need to kill it."

"You are a very brave warrior, Isaac." Feizhi said admiringly. Mia glanced at her and she coughed slightly, and then said, "But that must be the right way. My vision said that the corridor would open up the way to the exit… and it did. Sort of."

"And nearly got us killed for it!" Garet snapped, and then sighed. "But that's the thing with prophecies and visions and things, isn't it? They never quite turn out the way you expect them too."

"Indeed." Ivan nodded.

"Well, we can't just leave it there!" Mia added. "What if it floods out the people of Altin again? We can't let that happen!"

They hopped down, and stood at the edge of the gaping hole, looking down. They could faintly make out the bottom in the torchlight. About level with the rocky rubble that now served as the ground floor of the hole was another passageway. The steel mine cart tracks, now bent down and mangled out of shape, served as a makeshift ladder as they climbed down and began following the newly discovered passage of the mine. None of them could understand how it had been made if the miners of Altin hadn't dug this far, but they soon discovered something else even more interesting and perplexing. The passageway ahead was made out of smooth, carved white stone that reflected the light well as they made their way further down. This was indeed a big secret of the mine. Who would have made all this, and why?  
They rounded a corner and found what it was that must have been making that noise. At the far end, was a massive water beast, a living statue. But this one was bigger and more ferocious looking that the other two. Along either side, nearby, were two pedestals for the other two living statues that they had already killed. Which made this third one the last one. The four Adepts readied their weapons. Unlike the other two, this one wasn't pouring out water for some reason, but simply sitting there as though waiting.

"So, I guess this is where those guardian statues they found originated." Ivan said.

"Yes, I think this is the last one." Mia added. "Whatever those guardian statues have done since coming to life, we're putting to an end."

"Well said, Mia!" Feizhi said, twirling her fighting staff before her.

"Careful." Isaac cautioned. "This one's a lot bigger and feels stronger. It'll be a tougher fight."

Just like the others, this one made no opening move against them, but simply looked at them as though curious as to what they might do. Isaac made the first attack. He raised his left hand ahead of him and formed a powerful Ragnarok which blasted into the creature with a brilliantly bright blast.

Even before his eyes had time to clear the white after-image from them, Garet had raised his hands and formed a powerful, fiery vortex about the creature. But although Garet's Fire Psynergy was strong, it seemed to be no match fro the living statue's Water Psynergy, and as it quenched the flames about it with water formed out of the air, it emerges unscathed.

Then it counter-attacked. Opening its wide, frog-like mouth, a huge jetting stream of water shot out. Halfway towards them, the creature used its Psynergy, and the column of water split into five separate jets, each travelling in a different direction. Towards a different Adept.

Before Isaac or any of the others could make a move, each of the five water bursts slammed into their chests heavily, sending them flying back. As Isaac slid to a stop on the carved stone floor, he looked up to see the water beast now preparing another powerful attack. Several large blue balls of water came out of its mouth, guided towards them by Psynergy.

The monster released the clear blue orbs as they hurtled towards them, but Isaac was still too winded to make a move just yet. Mia was the first to recover. Getting up, she raised her Angelic Ankh, and the balls froze to ice as they crashed to the ground, shattering into tiny fragments. She then stepped forward to face her adversary. Ivan raced to join her, followed by Feizhi, whipping up a whirlwind with his Wind Psynergy and showering his enemy with the shards of ice on the floor, while Feizhi raised her hands, and unleashed blasts of lightning without knowing exactly what she was doing.

Getting up, Isaac wondered why Garet hadn't joined in the fight. He looked over and realised why. Being a Fire Adept, Garet had taken that attack worse than the others, and lay on his back severely injured. Isaac rushed over to check on his friend. He'd been knocked down and hurt, but it wasn't too serious, after all. Isaac hurriedly cast Cure, the healing ability passed on to Venus Adepts, and his Psynergy began healing Garet's wounds.

Behind him, he heard the battle continue. There was the sound of ice shattering and water splashing then all that was drowned out by the thunder of one of Ivan's lightning bolts. Or maybe it was Feizhi's. One he was finished, Garet got up, and thanked Isaac as he got ready to attack once again.

For some reason, Ivan was now lying injured on his side and Mia was next to him, using her power, Ply to heal him. Feizhi was fending of the living statue with her fighting staff, agilely dodging and jumping around to avoid its attacks.

"Take care of that monster while I heal Ivan!" Mia shouted.

"I've got it!" Garet responded as he generated a powerful fireball with his Psynergy before him. The water beast ignored Mia as it turned to face Garet, who unleashed dozens of small fireballs in all directions that changed direction and homed in on the living statue before them.

The water beast's natural reaction was to blast the tiny fireballs out of existence with well aimed blasts of water from its mouth.

Which served as the perfect distraction, Isaac realised. While the creature was busy blasting the fireballs out of existence, a few of them flaming harmlessly of its wet, leathery hide, Isaac reached out with his Psynergy to the stone ground beneath it. He cast the most powerful ability he knew of. The powerful Venus attack, called Gaia.

The stone gave up its energy with a bright, golden glow, broken rock floating up and slamming into the monster that suddenly found itself trapped in the beam of light as Gaia took effect. Before the living statue knew what was happening, the stone exploded in a brilliant burst of light as the earth shattered in an uncontrollable cataclysm of destructive energy.

When the light cleared a clearly injured and near defeated monster lay before them, severely burned and profusely bleeding. It turned to regard Feizhi, who was standing closest. Giving a shriek, she raised her hands, and blasts of white lightning lanced from her hands assaulting the statue, and driving it to the ground.

Garet immediately rushed past him and buried his large battle axe it its head, killing it. Defeated, the water beast returned back to its original stone form, and Garet was only just able to remove his axe before it became trapped in the stone.

"We did it, Isaac!" Garet crowed in celebration. "We beat the last water beast!"

"You fought very well, warrior." Feizhi nodded, breathing heavily with exertion.

"I wonder why Altin's statues turned into monsters." Ivan mused as he sat back up, healed again. "I mean, if they weren't living things to begin with, how could the power of Psynergy stones bring them to life and make them do these things? Doesn't that seem kind of strange?"

"Yes, that is kind of odd." Isaac nodded in agreement.

"And why is this room all strangely tiled, with statues built in it?" the Wind Adept went on.

"Maybe it's a ruin from the Lost Age?" Isaac guessed.

"I feel that these guardian statues were created long ago." Feizhi said, looking to the defeated water beast, cracking and crumbling apart.

"But what are they for?" Garet questioned as he too looked at them. The statue broke apart into dust, revealing hidden behind it along the wall a red enamelled treasure chest. They hadn't seen it upon first entering, hidden just behind the water beast, and in the heat of battle, they hadn't noticed it.

"Hey look, there's treasure chest behind it!" Ivan exclaimed, pointing.

"I guess that it must be all related to these ruins, buried deep in the mine…" Mia murmured, looking around with her blue eyes.

"I guess so…" Garet figured with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Let's see what they were guarding that was so important."

"I'm already one step ahead of you!" Isaac responded as he walked up to the chest and opened it up. Inside there was a small, smooth polished gem that had the same Psynergetic resonance that he had felt with the Catch Beads and the Orb of Force. Clearly, it was a Psynergy item, but what did it do?

Isaac took it out, and looked at it.

"What is it?" Garet asked.

"That's what I'm about to find out." Isaac replied as he held it in front of him. Focusing his mind, he generated a small amount of Psynergy with his weary bones, and channelled it into the item. Nothing happened. Not like the orb of Force, that simply released its effect when touched with Psynergy. Maybe it was more like the Catch Beads, and also needed a target to focus on before it could make something happen.

Isaac continued channelling his Psynergy through the gem, and now targeted it at the treasure chest. To Isaac's surprise, it began levitating! Isaac was capable of making small, lightweight items such as stones and clumps of straw hover with his mind, but anything heavier required far too much effort and strength. This let him do the same thing to heavier objects with only a fraction of the energy.

"Hey, that could come in handy!" Ivan noted, as he looked at the effects of the gem in Isaac's hand.

"We could use it to lift all sorts of things, like rocks and boulders…" Isaac mused, as ideas came into his head.

"I feel we should try using it further on in the mine." Feizhi suggested. "We are getting near to the other side."

"Let's go then." Isaac told them, as he pocketed the lifting gem, allowing the chest to fall to the floor. "I don't know how long we've been here for, but we should probably get going. After all, this detour had given us a serious delay."

They quickly moved off, and left the mysterious carved ruins behind them, delving deeper into Altin's mine. As they got closer to their exit, they encountered several large boulders blocking the floor, probably loosened by the water, but with the Lift Gem, as they had come to call it, they easily bypassed them. After and hour or two of walking along the man-made tunnels, they finally saw a glimpse of natural light. Sunlight! And Ivan informed them he could feel fresh air ahead!

They rushed ahead, and burst out of the mine in the side of the mountain. They were outside at last! In the late afternoon sun, they found themselves on the other side of the mountains. Saturos and Menardi's attempts to stop them had failed. There seemed nothing more to do, but camp there for the night.

"Ah, it's good to be out of there!" Garet sighed. The others agreed with him.

"Tomorrow, we make for Lama Temple." Isaac told them after a moment of enjoying the freedom of the surface. "We'll need to stop for rest and supplies, most especially water. We are, after all, about to cross a desert next, if we're going to catch up on Saturos and Menardi."

"And do not forget we must rescue Hsu along the way from the danger that he is in." Feizhi reminded them.

"That's right, we can't forget about him!" Mia said.

"All right then, tomorrow, it's Lama Temple, seeing if we can help Hsu along the way." Isaac decided.

"While we are there, we must visit Master Hama." Feizhi said.

"Sounds like a good idea, what's this Master Hama like?" he asked.

"My master is very wise and knowing." she smiled. "Very skilled in the ways of Chi. Master Hama will be able to help Hsu, if we can not."

"Hama…" Ivan mused. "That sounds kind of familiar… I wonder if I've heard it somewhere before…"

"You would have." Feizhi replied. "Master Hama is very famous."

"No, I don't think it's because of fame…" He shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just my imagination."

They settled down to camp along the mountain side, ready to travel to Lama Temple the next day.

**A/N:** And that's the end of that chapter. Hope you liked it! Did you appreciate Feizhi's inclusion? Was it fun enough for you? Next chapter will be her last. She'll leave the group and they shall go on again as four. But not without first having a bit more fun! Ivan is going to teach Feizhi some fancy Jupiter tricks!

Will she be able to learn to read minds? Control her lightning and wind summoning? Or will this diabolical knowledge be used by her for ill purposes? And who is this Hama character? What will happen? Will I continue to ask rhetorical questions? Will you ever get any answers? Will my next update be soon? To find out, you'll have to read the next chapter! So, if you feel led in anyway to leave a review and impart your thoughts upon me… well, go ahead. If not, well… that's up to you, I guess. Still, it'd be a shame for me not to hear from y'all…

NOW, I might not update soonish due to work commitments… I'll try to, but I make no promises… Adios Amigos.


	17. Master Hama

**A/N: **Welcome back, welcome all. How are you? Really? Is that so? Good to hear. Me? Oh well, I've been… what was that? You don't care about my personal life, you just wanna know about the chap? Oh, very well, fine then. It's done, if you must know. Just look!

But before I start, there are a couple of issues I'd like to address. First, most of you will have noticed that we are no longer allowed to put review replies in our chaps. We have to use the new reply feature. I did as many as I could, emailed others I couldn't. Hope you all received yours! If not, feel free to give an email address if you'd like a reply, if not… well, I don't suppose anything I have to say to you personally can be all that important, huh?

Another thing I'd like to point out is that, in the previous chapter, I put down chapter sixteen when, in fact, it should have read fifteen. Apologies for this error, I'll fix it up when I can get around to it.

Another thing, some of you (alright, ALL of you) almost certainly picked up on a certain… how should we say, dynamic between Feizhi and Isaac. A one-sided deal, very much. If you are unaware what I'm referring to, then you are as oblivious as young Isaac is. I would just like to point out now that this wasn't actually originally in my plans. But a certain "GoldenSunGeek" suggested the idea to my via email, and I thought, "Hey, not a bad idea." I mean, you see that in the next game when Feizhi meets Felix (why the hell does she thinks he's Isaac? Does she need glasses or something?) so I figured I'd reflect some of that in this fic. Well, more than a bit, I guess. I probably should have made mention of this earlier, but I didn't so I'm saying it now. Thanx GoldenSunGeek.

There's also another individual I should thank in the way of ideas, but I'll save it for the end so you'll actually know what I'm talking about. No biggie, but don't wanna spoil it for ya, eh?

Okay, enough of my rambling, read on!

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**MASTER HAMA**

A day after leaving the mines, travelling along the grassy plains towards Lama Temple, they made camp for the night. If all went well, the next day they would arrive at the temple some time at around noon. The five Adepts were seated around the camp fire, eating dinner quietly, watching as Ivan and Feizhi sat before one another, while he tried to teach her how to read minds.

"To use Psynergy, you really have to focus your mind." he explained to her. "Find the power deep inside you, try and focus it, concentrate it to do what you want."

"Like what I feel when I have my visions? And when I made that lightning come out of my hands?"

"Yes, like that."

She closed her purple eyes in a look of deep concentration. After a couple of seconds, a blue nimbus of light began to glow about her as her Psynergy began to form.

"Now focus that power on my mind, and try and will my thoughts into your head. That's how I do it." For someone who had been a servant all his life, he seemed to be a very good, very patient teacher. Isaac could feel her energy reaching out for Ivan, touching upon his forehead. "Now tell me, what number am I thinking off?"

She was silent for a moment, and then she ceased her Psynergy, and opened her eyes again. "Was it seventeen?" she asked, somewhat unsure of herself.

"Yes! You got it right, Feizhi! Well done!" Ivan smiled broadly as he clapped her on the back.

"Wow, that was easier than I thought it was!" she was positively smiling with delight.

"Really?" Ivan responded. "It took me years to figure out how to do that… then again, I did it on my own, I didn't have someone teaching me."

Feizhi turned towards Mia. Over the time that they had been travelling with one another, the two of them had become close friends, evidenced by the fact that Feizhi called her by name instead of title, a formality highly valued by her people. "Let me try it on you, Mia!" she suggested eagerly.

"Okay!" The blue haired healer smiled in reply.

Feizhi's body glowed blue again as she focused her minds power on Mia. The blue haired healer sat there calmly, aqua eyes looking into Feizhi's purple ones, a small smile etched upon her face.

"What number am I thinking of?" the Mercury Adept asked.

Feizhi didn't take as long to answer this time. As she grew better and more accustomed to her power, she became more confident and self assured with it. "Eight!" she declared in triumph. "I did it, Mia! I can read people's minds!"

"Congratulations, Feizhi!" Mia said with a broad smile, giving her a congratulatory hug.

"I cannot wait to show my father this!" Feizhi said, an eager smile growing on her lips. "That will show him that I have powers!" She turned to Isaac, excitement and interest mingled in her eyes; and a hint of… something else, he couldn't quite place it. "Let me see if you can read your mind, Isaac!"

"Okay, sure. Give it your best shot!" For some reason, unlike Ivan and Garet, Isaac had noticed that Feizhi no longer referred to him as 'warrior', but called him by name, just like Mia. Apparently, in Xian, they considered it polite and formal to refer to one by their job title rather than by name, unless they were close friends or family. So how come she didn't call Ivan or Garet by name, he wondered. He could understand Mia, the two had become best friends on the journey, but why did she like him more than the other two?

"Okay, I am about to start." she said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Okay… um, what do you want me to think about?" he asked uncertainly.

"What do you think about me?" she asked a _very_ interested smile on her lips. Why did she seem so interested in what he thought about her? She began to glow light blue, beginning to read his mind.

_I think you're, uh… a nice girl. _He thought _I like you as a friend a lot._ Couldn't he think of anything better to say about her? She ceased reading his mind.

"Thank you…" she said slowly, somewhat uncertainly but not at all displeased. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

_Pretty? What on Weyard does she want to know something like that for?_

"Well, uh…"

"No, wait, I want to read it on your mind!"

"Um… okay." He looked carefully at her, smooth youthful face and shining violet eyes, intricate purple braid swinging down her shoulder over a petite, feminine body, clad in loose fitting robes. She began reading his mind.

_Well, I think you look very nice._ He thought._ I guess most men would think you're pretty. _

"Do _you _think so?" she pressed.

…_I guess so._

"I see…" She ceased reading his mind and turned away; face expressionless as she busied herself with eating her dinner.

_Now, what was _that _all about?_ He wondered.

"Tomorrow, let's see if we can get you to learn how to control your lightning and wind abilities." Ivan suggested to her. "So far, it seems that you can only do it at great need, like when you're in danger."

"Yes, as when I fought that statue. I want to be able to do it at will. And I have never made the wind move as you do, warrior."

"Sounds like a plan." Ivan settled down to eat his stew. Isaac noticed Feizhi casting surreptitious glance at him in curiosity. Why was she looking at him like that?

_Wait a minute, could it be…? _He began to think, _no, of course not. That's just my imagination, surely._

"I hope this Master Hama knows where Hsu is." the Earth Adept said, breaking the silence that formed over the group.

"Master Hama…" Ivan repeated softly, eyes distant and deep in thoughtfulness. "…Hama…"

"She will, I assure you, Isaac." Feizhi said. "Master Hama knows everything. She can even see into the future."

"Really?" Garet said. "Well, after those monks at Fuchin Temple, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, Lama Temple is much better than Fuchin." Feizhi assured him in a confident voice. "You will see, warrior."

**XXXXXXXXX**

Lama Temple turned out to look very much like Fuchin. There were a few buildings of similar architectural style standing by a gentle stream. The monks who inhabited the temple were similarly dressed, and exhibiting the same behaviour as they quietly meditated in the gentle, peaceful atmosphere.

As Feizhi had already explained on the way there, the purpose of the monks was pretty much the same, seeking spiritual enlightenment through inner contemplation. Their leader was some young woman by the name of Master Hama. And that was really all Ivan knew about the place. All the times he had crossed nearby along the Silk Road to and from Xian, he and Master Hammet had never visited Lama Temple. There was, after all, no business or trade to be done in a temple.

Nobody paid them any mind as they entered. Isaac asked a few people if they knew anything about Hsu. Nobody did. They should ask Master Hama about that, they were told.

After filling up on water, a lot of water in preparation for the Lamakan Desert, they purchased a few provisions from a local who sold food to passers by, then began heading towards Hama's temple. It was the largest building atop the highest hill, right next to the flowing brook.

They found a shaven headed monk in loose fitting robes sitting cross-legged on the ground next to the door, as though he were a guard.

"Is this the temple Master Hama is in?" Isaac asked as they approached.

"Yes it is." The monk replied, looking up. "Master Hama knew you were coming."

"She did?"

"See, I told you she could see the future." Feizhi said with a definite tone of pride.

"And she left a message for you." The monk continued. "She said Feizhi must wait outside while she speaks with Isaac and his party."

"What!" she exclaimed. "But… but I am the one who wants to meet her! These warriors are just following me! I need to ask Master Hama where Hsu is, and how I can help him! There must be a mistake! She wouldn't refuse to let me in!"

"That is what the Master said." The monk said in a completely calm tone of voice. "You must wait, while she speaks with the other four. Then she will converse with you later, Miss Feizhi."

Feizhi growled softly, and stamped her foot in irritation. "Why would she do something like this? Stupid Hama…"

"You should not speak so of your Master." The monk advised nonchalantly. "If you four would please enter? Master Hama awaits you."

"Don't worry, Feizhi." Isaac reassured her. "We won't be long."

"I will be waiting." she said in a stubborn tone that suggested she'd wait till winter if she had to. The four Adepts silently entered the meditating room, shutting the door behind them. The inside did very much remind Isaac of Master Nyunpa's room. It was a simple, modest room with a few incense candles providing light and smell. On the floor was the same symbol, a circle half black, half white, separated by a sinuous line.

Ahead of them, sitting cross legged on the floor with her back to them, was a woman silently meditating. She was wearing simple, clean robes with violet colour hair tied back in a simple ponytail.  
"So, Isaac, you and the other Adepts have finally come." The woman ahead suddenly spoke up in a clear, young voice. She stood up and turned to face them. She was young, probably only a couple of years older then Isaac, with violet eyes, not unlike Ivan's, and a smooth, serene expression on her face. She regarded them calmly, with a slight hint of a knowing smile on her lips.

"Finally come?" Garet repeated in surprise. "You mean you really were expecting us? And how did you know our names?"

"I had anticipated your arrival." Hama informed them steadily in a calm voice.

"You knew we were coming?" Mia asked the woman.

"I have been waiting a long while for you." Hama replied simply. "You come seeking the Elemental Stars."

"You know about the Elemental Stars, too?" Ivan asked in surprise. "Who… who are you?"

"I am a Jupiter Adept, just like you, Ivan." Hama replied with a smile, looking at their companion.

"I am not a Jupiter Adept!" Ivan denied vehemently, not wanting the secret of his power revealed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You are, Ivan." Hama told him. "You know that you are one, just like me."

"But… how can you be so sure?" he asked slowly.

"You have the ability to read minds." she said, taking a step closer. "This power is unique to the Jupiter Adepts."

"You predicted our coming…" Mia spoke up. "Is that also a power of Jupiter Psynergy?"

"Excellent question, Miss Mia." Hama chuckled slightly, a beautiful, pretty sound. "Yes, the ability to foresee events also belongs to the Jupiter Adepts."

"Then, can Ivan learn the power of prediction, too?" Garet asked eagerly. It would be a useful advantage, Isaac figured.

"He already has the ability within him." Hama replied simply.

"No, I haven't…" Ivan started.

"You do." Master Hama cut in. "You merely do not yet know that you have it." Ivan shook his head in disbelief. "When you first met Isaac and Garet in Vault, you knew that they were important in your life, and you somehow recognised them instantly, as though you had seen them before, perhaps in a dream. When you went to Lunpa, you afterwards knew that you had to rejoin your friends, somehow, as though it was the right thing to do, you destiny as it were. Many times, you have known or intuitively guessed things, thoughts and knowledge given to you by foresight, though you do not realise it, or understand or control it."

"But… wouldn't I know?" he said softly to himself. "No… but, then…"

"Wow, it must take great power to see the future." Garet nodded, impressed.

"It will be a great power to use on our quest, if Ivan can use it." Isaac stated.

"He will learn it when the time is right. For now, he must learn another power." Hama smiled in anticipation, looking to the short Jupiter Adept.

"What other power?" Ivan asked eagerly.

"Reveal."

"Reveal?"

"Yes." Hama began. "I have waited a long time to pass the power of true sight on to you." She looked at Ivan with her purple eyes.

"But why does he need to learn this power?" Isaac asked.

"You will need Reveal if you are to achieve your goals…" she looked to Ivan, briefly, then sighed. "Jupiter Adepts can learn Reveal on their own, over time…" her eyes flitted to Ivan briefly again, and then she looked to Isaac. "But that power alone will not help you find Saturos as his company moves on." She looked out the window, to the road that led to Xian. "It was Saturos and his companions who blocked Silk Road…"

"I knew it was them!" Garet exclaimed. "I'll bet they got Felix to do it for them, too. What a bunch of cowards!"

"Do not be so quick to judge, young Garet. Felix bears a terrible fate." She sighed despondently. "His fate in the destiny of Weyard is a burden I would not wish on any man, though it has yet to truly begin for him."

"A terrible fate?" Isaac queried. "What do you mean by that? And how had it not truly begun yet?"

"I am sorry; I can say nothing more on this matter." Hama shook her head regrettably, "Now, we must focus on the power of Reveal. You will need this power to cross the evil Lamakan Desert."

"An evil desert?" Garet asked, cocking a doubtful eyebrow and looking to Isaac. "How can a desert be evil?" The Earth Adept shrugged in reply.

"Why will we need Reveal to cross the desert?" Ivan asked Master Hama.

"Crossing the Lamakan Desert was hard enough with the extreme heat, as you know." she explained. "But heat has taken hold of the desert and it has become unbearable. Entering the desert now is nothing short of asking for death."

"Then how can Saturos cross such a deadly place?" the short Wind Adept queried. "Saturos and Menardi are both Mars Adepts, as I'm sure you know. I am merely guessing…" she shrugged. "But their powers may help them suppress the heat as they cross."

"I don't understand…" Mia started. "How will Reveal help us in such an evil place? Is this similar to the power they're using?"

"Reveal will help you find oases to cool you against the heat." Hama replied.

"Why would we need Reveal for that?" Garet asked. "Couldn't we just find the oases ourselves?"

"Do you know what a mirage is?" Hama asked Isaac.

"I think so…" Isaac replied a bit unsurely. He'd heard of such things before, in stories.

"Intense heat creates a distortion of air that alters the appearance of the terrain." She explained. "Mirages will deceive your eyes, preventing you from finding any oases. The desert is filled with mirages that prevent you from seeing clearly. Without Reveal, you cannot find the oases, your path or many other things."

"Sounds like you'll have to learn Reveal, Ivan." Garet said, clapping the boy on the back. "I don't want to die in some evil desert!" For some reason, Ivan was looking a little unsure of himself.

"What's wrong, Ivan?" Mia asked. "Are you afraid you can't learn it?" Hama walked up to Ivan, laid a hand upon his forehead, then let it fall to her side again as she looked away and sighed.

"What's wrong, Master Hama?" Ivan asked anxiously. "You can pass Reveal on to me, can't you? We _need_ to cross this desert to save the world!"

"I am unsure that it will work." Hama confessed. "In preparation for this day, I tried to pass a power on to a young girl, although that power was not Reveal. My student was not an Adept… at least, not at the time, but I though anyone could hone a skill he or she already possessed deep within them… However, I saw no change in the girl."

"No! There was a change, Master!" Feizhi's voice suddenly interrupted. All of them turned to see Feizhi entering the room, slamming the door closed behind her and ignoring the look the monk gave her.

"Oh, welcome back, Feizhi!" Isaac greeted.

"Thank you, Isaac." she said, very warmly.

"Feizhi, I thought I asked you to wait outside." Hama said disapprovingly, frowning at her student.

"I did." she replied. "At least, I was."

Hama's purple eyes took on a severe glare. "You were listening at the door."

Feizhi folded her arms defiantly. "I have a right to know what you are talking about. Besides, Hsu is now in even greater danger, and I need you to tell me where he is."

Hama seemed to forget about the intrusion as she heard Hsu's name. "Hsu… how can you know this? You had not learned your gift of foresight when we last met."

"I sensed it!" she exclaimed, eagerly. "I foresaw that he was in danger, and came to help him."

"Sensed it? Then you did learn to use your ability…" her youthful visage took on a thoughtful look. "But Hsu is no longer here, he left for Xian two days ago."

"Hsu, is in great danger!" she told her master anxiously. "You must tell me where he went!"

"Hsu left this place a long time ago." Hama told her calmly, soothingly. "He went home to Xian. I have not sensed any trouble with him since."

"I know… but Hsu did not return to Xian." Feizhi's voice was anxious. "And I sensed he is in danger and needs our help!" Hama shut her purple eyes in deep thought for a moment, and then opened them wide as realisation dawned on her face.

"… The boulders in the mountains!" she then exclaimed in shock. "That's where he is. Of course!"

"I sensed it!" Feizhi repeated. "I came through the mine with these warriors. I came to ask for help."

"I sensed nothing, as I was focused on Isaac's arrival…" Hama confessed, shaking her head. "But why has the power come to you, after all this time?"

"Gems fell from the sky." Feizhi replied bluntly. "One hit me right on the head."

"Gems… Psynergy Stones…" she mused, then turned back to Ivan. "But you cannot control the ability, correct? It comes as it wills, right?" Feizhi nodded. "I thought as much." She looked to Ivan. "Then this may work after all."

"What about Hsu?" Feizhi pleaded. "He needs our help!"

"Let us hurry to Hsu's aid!" Hama nodded, and then followed Feizhi out towards the door. Before reaching it, she stopped and turned to face Isaac's party. "You should wait here. Feizhi and I shall return with Hsu before they day's end. Then I will teach you how to use Reveal, Ivan." She looked to Isaac. "I believe you acquired an item from the mines of Altin. I will need to borrow it from you temporarily."

"You mean the Lift Gem?" He fished out the item from his pocket, holding it out before her. "But what will you need it for?"

She took the Lift Gem, and pocketed it. "Hsu is trapped under boulders. Now that I have stopped focusing on you, and allowed my percipience to track Hsu, I, too, have seen the danger that Feizhi foresaw." She turned back to the door. Feizhi was waiting anxiously. "I will not be long. I shall see you soon."

"Wait!" Isaac called out before she could leave. "Just how much about us and our quest do you know?"

Turning to face him, Hama smiled cryptically and answered, "I know enough and that is enough for you to know. Make yourselves comfortable in Lama Temple, feel free to look around." Then she was gone out the door with Feizhi before any of them could form a reply.

"It's enough for us to know that she knows enough?" Garet repeated. "What's that supposed to mean? Why does she have to be so cryptic, why can't she just be open and direct?" He grumbled in irritation, and occupied himself with looking about the room.

"I should have gone with them." Mia mused, blue eyes gazing out the door to where the two had left. "Hsu may be in need of my healing."

"I'm sure their fine, Mia." Ivan said. "If they needed you, surely Hama would have asked for you? Let's just wait around here for a while till they get back. I guess I'm going to have to learn this Reveal technique."

Isaac murmured in agreement. They were in a rush to catch up to Saturos and Menardi, but… well, it was already late in the day, and surely they could afford a small rest? They would have to stay here anyway, and learn Reveal if they were to succeed, so there was nothing much else to do but sit around.

It was then that a large oil painting to one side of the door caught his eye. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he was looking at it, it was as plain as day. It showed a small girl, maybe six years old, with waist length violet hair hanging loose about her shoulders, and big, purple eyes.

_That looks like Hama._ Isaac thought _I guess it must be her as a small girl._ Next to the young Hama on the painting was a small baby, with blonde hair and purple eyes. _I wonder who that is._ He thought, curious. There was nothing inscribed on the painting frame to indicate who the people were or who the artist was.

"This painting…" Ivan mused, standing right up to it to get a closer look. "There's something about it that feels so familiar… I can't say what, though…"

"Isn't it obvious, Ivan?" Garet asked. "It's got Hama in it! That's what's so familiar about it! Sure, she's younger here, but it's still her."

"No, Garet, I don't think that's it…"

Mia gazed serenely at the painting for a short while, an unreadable expression on her face. "You know… I think that baby in this picture might be related to her… assuming it's an accurate copy of the people. Maybe it's a cousin or a sibling of hers…" There was no way of telling whether the baby was a boy or girl in the painting, but for some reason Isaac was guessing that it was a boy.

"Oh well, it's nothing special." Garet shrugged. "Let's get something to eat, it's about dinner time, I say! Isaac, you've got the food, don't you?"

"Sure, Garet, knock yourself out." The Earth Adept replied, handing his pack over to him.

"Don't mind if I do!" He eagerly took the bag and started digging through the contents.

"I'm going to get some rest." Mia sighed. "It's been a long walk, and I'm tired. I'll be by the stream if anyone needs me." She left the room with a graceful walk and was gone.

Garet left shortly after, saying something about cooking up a meal. That left Isaac and Ivan alone. The Jupiter Adept couldn't tear his eyes away from the oil painting of young Hama and the small baby.

"So familiar…" he murmured to himself. "…But why…?"

Isaac laid a hand on his shoulder and brought him out of his thoughts. "Come on, let's get something to eat while Garet's cooking, before he eats it all or burns it or something worse." Ivan looked at him with his purple eyes, his mind still evidently some place else.

_He's got the same purple eyes as Hama and that baby._ he thought. Then again, that didn't necessarily mean anything; most Jupiter Adepts had purple eyes. One of the elders of Vale who was a Jupiter Adept had purple eyes, there was nothing special about it, it was just an Elemental thing.

"Wha-? Oh, right. Sure, let's go." Together, they left the meditation room, making sure to close the door, and joined Garet in a clearing as he started cooking up a dinner over a fire started by his Psynergy.

_Still, why did Ivan find that painting so familiar?_

**XXXXXXXXX**

While waiting for Hama and Feizhi to return with Hsu, they busied themselves with an early dinner, and then casually relaxed about the temple grounds, waiting for them to return. Mia sat by the stream, calmly gazing out across the Angaran plains, waiting for her new friends to return. Ivan sat nearby, but neither of them spoke with one another, each content to centre on their own thoughts.

Nearby, Isaac sat next to Garet while the Mars Adept started practicing some of his Fire Psynergy. It had been a while since the four of them had a chance to rest and recuperate like this, especially in such an area as this. It was nice to just recover from their exhausting journey, and sit with one another in companionable silence.

Garet was glowing light blue with Psynergy as he focused his mind to try and control the flames before him. Hovering above the ground, seemingly burning from nothing, the orange flames flickered and formed into life by his willpower alone, growing and expanding to the size of a man's chest. He then formed it into various shapes, strengthening his ability and perfecting his technique.

"I need to be my absolute best with Fire Psynergy if we're going to beat those other two." He explained to Isaac as he made the flames form the ancient symbol of the Mars Clan, a flame within a circle, formed of red fire. "I mean, we were lucky on Mercury because of that beacon, but I want to be capable of beating them without that. We'll have to, won't we? Besides, after those Water Beasts in the mines, I realise I need to be much more powerful, I couldn't compete with them."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that." Isaac shrugged. "I mean, they used Water Psynergy, while you had Fire. It was only natural you couldn't. Even had you been stronger, you still wouldn't be much of a match for them, that's just how the Elements work, like Kraden said. You'd have to be five times stronger just to compete, probably."

"Yeah, but I want to be so powerful and skilled that I can defeat even Water Adepts… except for Mia, I'd never be able to compete with her, she's just as powerful as I am. And probably more skilled, another reason I want to train."

"Perhaps, but we all have our weaknesses. Even though Ivan and I are near identical in Psynergetic strength, he could easily defeat me because of his Element. I don't know about how the rest of us would compete against one another, but it wouldn't be easy. We all balance out our weaknesses and strengths with our respective element. It's what makes our group so strong, I guess." He looked across the where Ivan and Mia were sitting, two symbiotic elements, Wind and Water. They were talking softly with each other, although about what, Isaac couldn't tell. They were too far away to make out their voices.

Garet grunted, and changed the shape of the flames into and axe, very similar to his own. "But we've all still got the potential to go even higher, you know, Isaac? We're all equal in strength, always have been, and probably have exactly the same potential to increase our Psynergy ability. I guess that's destiny at work, or some such. But remember back home in Vale? The Elders all said that we had the potential to be the most powerful Adepts ever born in the village; perhaps as strong as the Adepts from the Lost Age, which I guess is how Saturos and Menardi compare. They were always moaning about how their abilities were dying and shrinking over the years. I want to reach my full potential, Isaac, and I'll work hard to do it."

"I don't doubt you will." The Earth Adept answered. "You always did train the hardest at Psynergy out of me you and Jenna. Just a shame you couldn't work as hard anywhere else."

Garet laughed, and let the fire vanish, his blue Psynergy glow fading. "Yeah, I just don't find anything else I'm as passionate about, you know, Isaac? Being a warrior is really what I like, going about the world, destroying evil and bringing justice. We sound just like heroes from stories, only… we _are_ heroes! I suppose one day, people will tell stories about us, the legendary heroes who saved the world!"

"Well, we haven't saved the world yet." Isaac replied, but smiled anyway. "But I guess your right. I can't quite imagine that. Just imagine, I couldn't never even comprehend the idea of leaving Vale and ever doing anything of any importance, but now look at us! We've all gone on from simple lives, villagers, servants and healers, to heroes and warriors. I guess that's destiny at work for you."

"Yeah… it's hard to understand sometimes, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" For a time, the two of them sat there next to one another in companionable silence, both content to think on their own thoughts, just like Mia and Ivan had been earlier. Now that pair was talking softly with one another, engrossed in deep conversation about something he couldn't hear, the words were still too soft to make out.

Isaac thought about a lot of things that had happened so far. That tragic storm three years ago, the events in Sol Sanctum, Jenna, the appearance of the Wise One and the quest given to him. Their journey, meeting Ivan and Mia, the battles they'd fought together in, confronting Saturos atop Mercury Lighthouse, the talk with Nyunpa at Fuchin and their adventures with Feizhi. They'd already been through a lot together, and somehow, he had the feeling that it was only just the beginning of it all.

_The Wise One and Tret, and even Nyunpa, said I may be the reincarnation of previous heroes… I wonder if that means the others are as well? It would seem fitting, with the whole destiny and fate thing, I guess. Assuming that there is such a thing as destiny._

Some time just before the sun set and twilight set it, Master Hama and her pupil, Feizhi, reappeared in the temple grounds, leading a round man who was clearly of Xian decent, with a mop of black hair and a child like, pudgy face. The four Adept immediately joined the trio, greeting them and asking how they were.

"It went well." Hama assured them. "There were no troubles. Isaac, I believe this belongs to you." She handed him back the Lift Gem, which he pocketed again, right next to the Orb of Force.

"So what happened?" Mia asked. "Were you injured, Hsu? Do you need any healing?"

"No, not at all, I'm fine!" he replied, wringing his hands nervously, and looking to the ground, and abashed look on his face.

"Hsu was trapped under boulders." Feizhi explained. "But Master Hama used the Lift Gem to remove them and help him get out."

"Although it could have been avoided if he'd used his head a bit more, yes, Hsu?" Hama said, giving him a slightly reproving look, like a teacher hoping a child has learned his lesson this time.

"Yes, Master." The round Xian boy spluttered, embarrassed.

"What do you mean by that, Hama?" Garet asked. She looked to Hsu, expecting him to explain himself.

"Well, uh… I was walking along Silk Road, and I passed a group of travellers – Feizhi say they're the ones you're following – and they told me not to bother, the road was blocked with boulders. I went anyway, but they were right. I could not pass; there was no way over or around." He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to continue. "Well, I didn't want to be late home, I didn't want to make Feizhi worry. She would yell at me if I made her worry, and she's scary when she yells."

Feizhi then suddenly coughed slightly, a seemingly innocent and unrelated noise, but Hsu immediately flinched and said, in a weak tone of voice, "I mean, uh… she's very nice and understanding. Yes, Feizhi is."

"And then what happened?" Hama pressed.

"I, uh… tried to climb over the rocks… that was what made them slip, and I got trapped beneath a rather large one." Isaac noticed that Feizhi was suppressing an urge to laugh, as was Garet.

"Yes, Hsu. Next time I trust you'll think before trying something so foolhardy?" Hama asked seemingly casually, but with thinly veiled force.

"Yes, Master."

"And don't worry, Hsu, I won't yell at you." Feizhi promised with a friendly smile.

"Well, as we are all here now," Hama began, clapping her hands together, "perhaps I should begin my lessons now. Ivan and Feizhi, you two may come with me, where I will teach you the Reveal ability. Hsu, Isaac, Garet and Mia - make yourselves at home. This will take us a while."

"Yes, Master." Feizhi nodded respectfully, her previous lack of respect gone.

"Yes, Hama. Or should I call you 'Master', now?" Ivan asked. Master Hama smiled sweetly at him and for a moment it almost seemed as if…

"You, Ivan, may call me Hama, thank you." she said.

"But Master, you never let me call you Hama!" Feizhi exclaimed sullenly. "You say I must always address you as Master!"

"That is because Ivan is not a permanent student." She answered calmly. "Besides, he…" she cut herself off then, realising what she was about to say, and continued. "It does not matter, Feizhi. Come, I will teach the two of you Reveal, and how to harness your Jupiter Psynergy." She led the way up to her meditation room where they had first met her, followed closely by the two Wind Adepts and disappeared inside, closing the doors behind them with Psynergetic flows of air.

"Well, I guess we're on our own again, now." Garet sighed. "This will get boring rather quickly."

"Indeed." Isaac agreed. After so long of constantly working tirelessly on the quest, he was beginning to feel restless just waiting around. "It's going to be a long night for us."

**XXXXXXX**

After several hours of waiting around with nothing to do, the three Adepts decided to have an early night. Ivan and Feizhi had not emerged for some time; although a near constant level of Psynergy could be felt coming from Hama's room. Hsu led them to a small building on one side of the temple grounds, a small wooden hut with open windows and silk curtains, explaining that this was where the monks and visitors slept. After Mia noticed that all the monks within were male, Hsu hastily explained that this was the male dormitory, the female ones were on the opposite side of Lama Temple grounds. Wishing them a good night, the blue haired healer left them for the female dorms, and the three of them quickly lay down in the surprisingly soft and comfy beds.

It was amazing how used to sleeping roughly out in the open Isaac was, but he immediately got comfortable in the new beds. Hsu fell asleep almost immediately, and Isaac was slowly drifting off, when the door opened and he wakened with a start.

Ivan entered quietly, while Hama stood outside, moonlight shadowing her in the doorway. "You did very well tonight, Ivan. I'm pleased with your progress." Her voice was soft, almost tender.

"Thank you, Master Hama. And thank you for teaching me Reveal. I guess that technique is the only way to pass the Lamakan Desert, right?" His young voice was almost a whisper, so as not to disturb anyone.

"Indeed it is. Sleep well now, you worked hard tonight and you need your rest." She moved to shut the door, but halted momentarily and in the pale moonlight, Isaac could see a warm smile on her lips. "Ivan, I am very glad to see you have grown to be such a strong man." Then she shut the door and was gone. That last comment Hama had made… What did she mean by that?

_Good to see that he's grown up to be such a strong young man? What does that mean?_ A thought, a suggestion tugged at the edge of his memory, but he was too tired to think of what it was. Then it was gone, forgotten. He was too sleepy right now, he'd think about it in the morning.

Ivan stood there, staring at the door, too stunned and deep in thought to do anything. He muttered something to himself softly under his breath, shook his head, then turned and made for the bed. "…nothing. I'm sure it's nothing." Isaac heard him mutter as he passed, and lay down in the bed next to him.

Isaac felt like asking what he meant, what Hama had meant, but he was so tired, and he fell asleep almost as soon as the thought had finished crossing his mind.

**XXXXXXXX**

The next day, they awoke with the dawning of the sun, as the other sleeping monks in their room awoke and silently left for whatever business or duties they had in the temple. Garet, Ivan and Isaac quickly got dressed and went outside, meeting with Mia in the middle of the grassy yard. As usual, her appearance was her standard impeccable self, white dress neat and unwrinkled, blue hair looking as though it had been just brushed.

"Good morning, boys." She greeted, smiling sweetly. "Did you all sleep well, like I did? It was wonderful here, the beds are so nice. Ivan, did you manage to learn Reveal?"

The Wind Adept answered that he did, but his voice sounded odd, distant. His eyes were staring away at something that none of them could see.

"What's wrong, Ivan?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, did you have a nightmare or something?" Garet added. Isaac then remembered what Hama had said to him last night before he fell asleep. She must have known him somehow…

"No, it's nothing." Ivan said, smiling and returning to his usual, cheerful expression and then, to change the subject, "Ah, here come Feizhi and Hsu."

The two Xian citizens appeared, Feizhi still tying her violet hair back in its intricate braid, grumbling about "nearly sleeping in again" in an irritated voice. Hsu smiled weakly, hastily patting down his bed-messy hair with his hands.

"So, I guess this is where we go our separate ways." he said. "I must thank you all for your kindness, in helping Feizhi get here and letting Master Hama borrow the thing that saved me from the boulders. You kindness is too much."

"Oh, it's nothing really." Isaac replied. "It's Feizhi and Hama that you should be really thanking."

"Oh, but I already have. I just wanted to extend my thanks to you." He took Isaac's hand and shook it.

"Oh, uh… no problem." He smiled. They really hadn't done that much to help him. Feizhi finished typing her long hair in its intricate braid – it must have taken ages to style it like that – and tied of the end with a leather cord. Looking around, she wondered aloud where Master Hama was, she should be there by now.

As though it had been a summons, the Master Monk of Lama Temple appeared from her meditation room, and joined the group. Acutely, Isaac thought of that picture of Hama as a young girl that was in her room, and the baby next to her…

_What on Weyard does that mean? There's something about Master Hama…_

"Good morning, Ivan, Feizhi." she greeted. "Hsu, Isaac, Garet and Miss Mia. I trust you all slept well?" They all said that they had. "Excellent. Well, we must part ways for now, but, if it's any consolation, I can promise this won't be the last time we meet."

"Really? When will we meet again?" Hsu asked.

"I cannot see clearly." Hama answered with a shrug. "Only that it shall happen. But don't worry yourself about it for now. It's time for you to be returning home, Hsu. You too, Feizhi. I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

"Yes, I had completely forgotten!" Feizhi gasped, hands to her mouth. "My father probably thinks I'm lost or in trouble! We should be off. Come on Hsu, you'll need me to show you the way back through the mines." Hsu joined her side, while she spoke with Mia.

"I shall miss you, my friend." she said. "But I hope your quest goes well. I only wish I could go with you, but I have other duties back home in Xian." She started searching in one of her pockets. "Among my people, it is custom to give friends gifts when they depart on long journeys. I hope this will suffice." She pulled out a small bracelet, polished ivory with unfamiliar character carved upon the surface. "I had planned to give this to Master Hama as a gift for all the training she's given me, but now I want you to have it."

Mia slipped it over her slender wrist. It fit perfectly. "Thank you, Feizhi. I promise I'll treasure it and look after it!" She slipped her white sleeve down over it, hiding it from view. "I only wish I had something to give to you in return…" The Water Adept gave Feizhi a grateful hug.

"Do not worry, Mia!" Feizhi replied, smiling deeply. "The giver of gifts does not need to receive one, for they already have. That's something my father and Master Hama both taught me." She turned to face Isaac. "It is custom, also, to give the group leader a good luck charm before leaving on their journey. Unfortunately, I don't have one to give you right now…" She hesitated for a moment. "But I promise to give you something someday to make up for it. Will you ever visit Xian again?"

"Sure, I'd like to go back there someday. I promise you I'll come back one day when this is all done."

"Thank you! Then I promise I'll give you a good luck charm then." She turned away from him and stood with Hsu. "I'll miss you Isaac, Mia, warriors! May your journey be blessed, and the winds of fortune blow your way!" The she and Hsu began walking along the grassy plains north to where the mines of Altin exited the mountains.

"And now, we must part ways also." Hama said, sighing wistfully. "I do not know what precisely the future holds for you, nor if you will succeed, though I hope that it does. Good luck, Adepts… Ivan." She looked him in the eyes. "I meant what I said last night. Remember all that I have taught you. Farewell." Then she turned and left them, entering her meditation chamber and vanishing from their sight. And they were a group of four once more.

_There's something about Hama and Ivan, she must know him somehow… but he doesn't seem to._

"Ivan." Mia started, "do you and Master Hama…" she hesitated, searching for the right phrase, "know each other?" she finished, voicing the suspicions of Isaac and probably Garet as well.

"No…" Ivan shook his head, trailing off, looking out the door where she had left, "but it's funny… she doesn't feel like a stranger…" he added, contradicting himself.

"Why don't you just ask her what she meant?" Garet asked.

"When you came in last night," Isaac started, "she said something to you about being glad you had grown up to be such a strong young man. Do you know what she meant by that?"

"She did?" Garet and Mia both echoed.

"You heard that?" Ivan asked, surprised.

"Yes, I heard you two just before you went to bed, but I fell asleep. Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop…"

"No, its okay." he sighed. "Still… I wonder…"

"Exactly!" Garet said. "Just go in and ask her what she meant by that! Clearly she must know you somehow, don't you want to know why?"

"Yes…" Ivan replied softly, slowly, thoughtfully. "But… somehow, it just doesn't feel like the time is right, just now. I don't think she'd tell me anyway, but still…" There was an awkward, silent pause as Ivan debated silently inside himself.

"Felix and the others must be far ahead of us by now…" Isaac mused, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, we'd better get moving." Garet agreed. "I mean, if Ivan doesn't want to ask Master Hama anything…"

"No." the Wind Adept answered succinctly.

"Are you sure, Ivan?" Mia asked in concern. "We don't know when we'll get to meet Hama again, not might be your best chance."

"No, its okay." he answered, albeit hesitantly. "It's time to go on. Let's go, even now Saturos and the others are probably crossing the Lamakan."

"Alright, then, if that's you decision," Isaac sighed, "then, let's go. The desert may have slowed them down but we can't waste a second!" The four of them picked up their packs and left Lama Temple.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Hama watched the group of four leaving through the window of her room, contemplating on her insights she had received through meditation inside her mind.

"The future holds many hardships for you." she whispered as though they might actually hear her. "But you must not give up the fight." She was unsettled however, and her feelings still unnerved her.

_I cannot see your future clearly…_she thought, thinking of Isaac. _It must be because I cannot be impartial to it…_ Then an image of Ivan entered her mind, with his purple eyes and mop of blonde hair.

…_or to you._

**A/N:** Well, that's that. Hope y'all liked it. If you really want a reply to reviews, sign in or leave an email address. If not, well, it's no big deal unless you have a question you'd like answered, I guess.

Also, did any of you notice that painting in Hama's room? Of course you did, you just read it! I wonder who that baby was… go on, one guess who, I'll give you one guess! I'd just like to point out that the idea of including that painting was not my idea. ElementalSpirit1 suggested that idea to me via one of our MSN chats, so I should just thank him for it, 'twas his idea.

Anyway, I think that's everything, now. So, lets see, what comes next… ah, the old Lamakan Desert! Rather hot this time of year, that place. Hmm, looks like another traveling chapter for ya'all. Ah well, I guess the crux of this story is the whole journey across Angara to save Weyard. And the characters, but most everyone seems to think I'm doing fairly well in that department. What do we have in store… let's see… I see another scene involving Felix and co. in there! It's been far too long without one, I say, what say you? Anyhoo, I'll be working at it, and we'll see when I can get it done, eh? In the mean time, wait patiently, okay?

Adios Amigos.


	18. Desert Heat

**A/N: **Hey-diddly-ho, reader-in-oes! Hope you all had a happy new year and a merry xmas and all that. My New Years Resolution is to complete this novel by the end of this year. It WILL be done, I promise myself. It WILL be completed, no matter what. Despite the fact that, at the present time, I'm pretty busy. My house is being repainted, and my computer is giving me grief (again). I've only been popping into the sight sporadically and briefly, so I must confess I haven't been leaving the number of reviews that I should be. I'll rectify this when possible.

Anyway, no more wasting your time with my useless prattle, I'm sure you all want to be getting on with the reading of the chappie, right?

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**DESERT HEAT**

To say that the Lamakan Desert was hot was a serious understatement. It was like walking into a roaring furnace. Isaac had never experienced anything so hot. Even the hottest summer day in Vale had never been so strong. And the humidity was unbearable. They struggled to trudge through the unforgiving landscape soaking in their own sweat.

Isaac walked across the scorched earth silently, trying to push against the heat, but the others were very vocal with their displeasure. Mia, who had grown up in the cold northern reaches of Imil, found such heat utterly beyond anything she had ever experienced. Ivan insisted that the desert had never been anywhere _near_ as bad as this when he had passed through with Master Hammet. But Garet was the worst complainer, moaning loudly and often about the conditions of the desert trek.

All around them, the sunburnt wasteland stretched on endlessly. Isaac had always imagined deserts to be endless plains of sand, with only small amounts of water and vegetation. In the Lamakan, there was absolutely none. Not a single shrub, or even so much as a weed. And there was not a drop of water in sight. Even Mia, their Water Adept, confirmed this. The Lamakan wasn't as flat as Isaac had predicted, either. It was craggy and cliffy, with small valleys and rocky hills constantly blocking their way that they had to pass through. The way of the Silk Road was lost in the baked earth and rough ways, so they had to try and navigate using their compass and sense of direction, not easy when the heat had seemingly addled their brains.

And they couldn't see too far, either. Master Hama was right when she said they wouldn't be able to find the oases by sight. The air was constantly shimmering from the heat around them, making seeing very difficult, and even sometimes deceitful.

The terrain warped about them as images appeared and vanished. Sometimes they would head for an apparent gap in the cliff rock, only to have the mirage vanish as they approached. Sometimes such things would suddenly appear out of an otherwise seemingly empty landscape as they neared it, a pleasant surprise in the loathsome land. Of course, they weren't alone in the dry wasteland.

Garet had already told them he could sense large amounts of Fire Psynergy radiating from the ground, creating the heat, and Isaac could feel the Earth Psynergy in the ground working with it.

That could only have been created by Psynergy Stones. And those stones hadn't just affected the land. They saw dozens of warped monsters stalking the Lamakan Desert. There were huge, fire-breathing salamanders with red scales, half-human looking pig-like creatures walking on their hind legs and brandishing sabres and thick, overgrown green worms with venomous stingers the size of Isaac's forearm. Creatures warped by Venus and Mars Psynergy. They could take the heat, it seemed.

They kept their distance from the Four Adepts, most of them, as they seemed more interested in seeking water, shade or simply attacking one another. They had already passed many bones of fallen creatures, and seen a couple of fights as they passed by, but sometime after lunch they walked right into the middle of one.

In the middle of a large rocky bowl in the ground, they saw several large pig-men facing off against a couple of the large salamanders, with the giant worms scavenging off of the remains of the slain monsters.

As they saw them the monsters ceased their battle, and turned to attack them. Whether it was a territoriality thing, or if the creatures just thought they were easy prey, Isaac didn't know. But he drew his sword from the sheath on his back, and prepared for battle. He had already removed his yellow scarf and all his armour beforehand. He figured with the armour on, the heat would probably kill him faster than any monsters would. Hopefully they would be able to defeat these creatures from a distance.

"Oh, not a fight!" Garet moaned beside him as he gripped his battle-axe. "It's too hot! I can't concentrate properly!"

"Just try and bear with it!" Isaac encouraged him. Then he raised his hand and summoned an earthquake beneath their foe's feet. The ground shook, and the monsters momentarily halted, but seemed unfazed. It was an effort to focus his mind even that much in this horrible heat, but it wasn't beyond him.

Garet seized the opportunity to hurl fire at their foes, raising unbearably high temperatures to even greater heights. But it wasn't enough to kill them. The salamanders emerged unscathed, while they pig warriors were somewhat singed, and taking a few cautious steps back, but not severely hurt. Only the fat green worm scavengers seemed to have suffered any damage.

"I don't think Earth and Fire based Psynergy attacks are going to hurt them much!" Ivan noted with concern. Then he raised his powerful Shaman's Rod and liquid-blue plasma bolts of lightning lanced down miraculously from the clear, blue sky, exploding in a brilliant white flash upon the monsters. When he was finished, and the dust had settled, they found he had killed the worms and a few of the pig fighters, and severely wounded the Salamanders.

It was at this point, the pig warriors, seemingly scared by the Adepts display of power, turned and fled, leaving behind their dead companions to the bane of the desert sun. That left only those two fire breathing red salamanders to deal with. They glared hungrily at the Adepts, huge beasts bigger than a wolf. Isaac was going to try and attack on them, but he realised they'd probably resist anything he did; it would take great power to hurt them.

The two creatures both opened their mouths and spewed forth huge balls of flame, kicking up the sand about them. Mia raised her Ankh and cast Douse, dissipating the flames with water that was formed out of thin air. The salamanders ceased their attack, and Mia formed sharp icicles out of the water, which flew at the two and pierced their thick, scaly hides all over, making them bleed even worse.

"Don't give them a chance to attack!" Isaac called out, as he lunged at one of the beasts, darted to one side, spun and swung his sword down with all his might, severing the creature's head. Next to him, Garet joined the fray, driving his axe-blade down into the second salamander's skull, killing it.

"Well, that take's care of that!" the Fire Adept sighed as he wiped sweat of his brow and returned his axe to his side. Isaac took his yellow scarf and used it to wipe his sweat soaked face. It seemed an absurd use to put it, but it was better than letting it get in his eyes.

"Ew, my clothes are soaked in sweat! This is gross!" Mia wailed as she looked down at her light blue and white healers dress, thoroughly soaked through with sweat. She'd only had clothes for regular and cold weather conditions; she hadn't packed for warmer days, let alone the heat of the Lamakan Desert. With a look of disgust evident upon her face, Mia raised a delicate hand, and again used Psynergy to cast Douse, creating water out of thin air above her head, allowing the drops to fall down on her like rain, and wash away her sweat and cool herself down.

"Hey, Mia!" Garet called, leaning against a rock that must have been stinging hot. "A little douse over here, please." The Water Adept waved her hand, and Garet suddenly found himself soaked from head to toe. It wasn't the first time she had cooled them off in this manner since entering the wasteland. She had done so a couple of other times as well, but she couldn't do it too often. It drained her of strength, and they had all been sapped by the desert's heat. Still, Isaac was greatly refreshed as cool water washed over him after Mia had doused Ivan. But it couldn't quench their thirst. They needed real water to do that, and their supply was already low, despite their attempts to ration it. They just couldn't help it. It was too hot, and they were too thirsty.

"If we don't find an oasis soon, I'm going to shrivel up and blow away." Mia moaned, before taking a large, deep gulp from the leather jerkin that contained her drinking water.

"I can agree with that!" Isaac sighed. "Hey, Ivan! I think it's time we gave your new Reveal ability a try. Cast it, and see if there are any oases around."

"Don't bother." Mia said, stopping Ivan before he even had time to think. "There's no water nearby. I can sense it."

"Well, if you can sense if there's water nearby, then what do we need Ivan's reveal for?" Garet questioned.

"Because I can't tell you where it is." The Water Adept explained. "I can only feel if there is some nearby, not what direction it is in. Since we've entered the desert, I haven't been able to feel as much as a drop. This desert is drier than a bone. I'll know immediately if we come near some, it will stand out like a beacon." The others sighed despondently. More long walking in the heat before they could really cool off.

"Well, let's get moving then." Isaac suggested. "We'll have to come across one sooner of later."

"It's the later part that worries me." Garet grumbled, but nobody paid him any attention.

They climbed up the side of the rocky bowl, and continued their trek across the sun baked land. It was so hot; Isaac would have taken his leather travel boots off of his feet if they wouldn't have been horribly burned by the ground. He swore he was beginning to get a little dizzy from the heat and might collapse soon when Mia thankfully declared, "There's an oasis nearby!" He could have cheered if he wasn't so worn out.

They didn't need to say anything more; it was too hard to with the weight of the heat upon them. Ivan silently close his eyes, and focused his mind as Psynergy began to surround him. For a second everything around the Adepts in their sight vanished in blackness, except for each other. Then the sight of everything in the surrounding few metres about Ivan reappeared, the sand and rocks, only it was in black and white and shades of grey. There was no colour at all, except for the four Adepts and their clothing. Anything past the sphere's perimeter was invisible to their eyes, lost in blackness. Isaac guessed that this was only an illusion, created by Ivan's Psynergy and sensitive only to Adept eyes. Normal people probably wouldn't see any change at all.

They looked around at the small black and white and shades of grey world about them. The air was no longer shimmering, Isaac realised, surprised at how still the sight seemed to be. Then he saw it, over by the edge of the Reveal field. A small oasis of fresh, clean water.

Ivan let his Reveal disappear as they rushed to it. Colour returned to the world and they saw all again as the mirage hid the water from view. Only as they reached the point where they knew it to be did it become visible again.

They all drank deeply and gratefully from the water until they all felt fully refreshed. Isaac and the others washed off their faces and even jumped in and splashed around, cooling off from the unrelenting heat around them. They would have stayed there if Isaac hadn't decided to get them going again. He didn't like taking the role of leader and telling others what to do, but sometimes it was necessary. They couldn't afford to fall any further behind. In fact, they really had a lot of ground to gain on their foes.

Sparing only enough time to refill their water canteens, they trekked on through the boiling temperatures of the Lamakan Desert, soaking wet from their dip in the water. It only took a few minutes for the sun to dry them out anyway.

It was sometime past noon, now. If they could just keep up this pace, they could hopefully rest once they got out of here. Isaac promised they would stop off in Kalay, Ivan's adopted hometown.

They forced their way step by painful step across the sunburnt landscape, over small fields of sand, plains of hard dirt, rocky cliffs and craggy valleys and rivers of sand. Nothing grew in this place. And very little lived. Only monsters they had seen and they were few in number, too. Either they heat killed off most of them, or many were simply hiding away, waiting for night.

Somehow, they had made their way well and truly of the Silk Road, and were travelling cross-country now. Only a careful eye on their compass and a good sense of direction kept them from getting lost. At least this wasn't like Mogall Forest, then. Whatever Silk Road may have once been, it could never be a useful road to get directly from Xian to Kalay again, with the combination of unnatural heat and monsters all but making it impossible.

_Guess they'll have to take the long road around, through Kolima, Bilibin and Vault._ Isaac figured. At least they didn't have to torture themselves going _too_ thirsty. They found two other oases during the day as they walked through the Lamakan Desert. A couple of hours after the first oasis, they found a second, thanks to Ivan's Reveal. But they never would have found it if Mia hadn't told them they were near one. The lives of the whole party depended on those two.

Of course, they would have been even more than hopelessly lost if not for Ivan helping them to avoid mirages. Several times they had thought they had found an oasis in the desert and, dizzy with heat and driven by thirst, they had gone out of their way towards it only to have Ivan stop them, cast Reveal, and show that they were, after all, chasing after a mirage. A few times they had seen monsters in the distance, summoned all manner of Psynergy at them, only to find they were attacking empty ground when Ivan used Reveal. If not for him, the sun's heat and the desert's mirages would have long ago driven them hopelessly the wrong way and wound up killing them.

Only his unique power taught by Master Hama could show them the way through the Lamakan. How Saturos and Menardi could make it through was simply beyond Isaac. Sure, maybe they had the power to control heat, but how could they avoid having the mirages throw them off? If they ever did make it through, they would be greatly delayed by this desert. Perhaps Isaac and the others could make a gain on them after all.

The third oasis they found late in the afternoon, when the sun was back down near the horizon. The temperature had dropped by now. Still hot and not quite near comfortable, but still less than they had been before.

After a brief stop and a drink at the hidden pool of water, Isaac decided they should make ready to camp there for the night. It was in a good spot, a large break in a tall cliff wall, with the only entry facing out to a large, flat view of nothing. There was also the nearby oasis for a water supply, if they needed any. No monsters could sneak up unseen, provided they kept a good watch, and they were in a good position to defend themselves. A safe spot to sleep for the night.

They didn't bother building a fire. For one thing, there was no wood available in the desert save what they had brought with them, and for another, it was still too warm for them to want any extra heat anyway. Even though the clear, starry night sky told them it was night, it still felt like a warm day. At least, the heat at this time was bearable. Well, just barely, at least.

None of them felt much in the mood for hot food, not after the day's unbelievable heat. So they just ate some of the fruit they had brought with them. The fruit was cool, tasty and refreshing.

"So, Ivan, how long will it take us to get out of this desert, do you think?" Garet asked as they sat in their little camp, the half-moon above them providing the only light.

"Well, Hammet and I never made the journey in less than two days." Ivan replied.

"Another day of that?" Garet spat. "I don't want to have to go through that again!"

"Of course," Ivan continued, "we were travelling by horse and cart, along the road. With the way we've been going, cross-country and on foot, it might be longer. It might take us three of even four days."

"What!" Garet exclaimed. "You mean we're not even halfway through yet? Oh, I don't think I can handle this!"

"Maybe we should just stick to travelling at night." Mia suggested. "It's a lot cooler, now."

"Hey, that is a good idea!" Ivan said.

"But it's more dangerous now." Isaac warned them. "I don't think any of you have noticed, but there are a lot more monsters out in the desert now. Listen." All four of them fell silent as they began listening to the sounds around them. They perceived the sounds of many of the creatures that they had already encountered that day, off in the distance.

He continued when he saw that they'd all heard. "If they are as aggressive as the ones we've already encountered, I don't think that we could safely trek without fighting all the way."

"I guess most of them only come out at night because that's the only time the heat's bearable." Ivan figured.

"Probably." Isaac shrugged. "Either way, it still means we have to travel during the day, through the worst of the heat."

"Hey, Garet." Mia spoke up. "Master Hama said something about Saturos and Menardi being able to control the heat with their Psynergy because they're both Fire Adepts. Do you think maybe you could figure out how to do that trick?"

Garet shook his head sadly. "I honestly don't know where to begin. I can use my power to raise the temperature easily enough, but trying to lessen it… I don't know how!" All of them groaned in dismay. Looks like they were relying on water to keep cool again. "I'll see if I can try and work something out tomorrow, but I can't promise I'll get any result, though." They fell silent again for awhile, as they contemplated walking another day in that heat.

"If there are so many dangerous desert monsters wandering around at night, then we should probably take it in turns keeping watch." Isaac suggested finally, casting a glance out to the still warm sand of the Lamakan.

"I'll go first." Ivan offered. "I don't think I could sleep right now, anyway."

**X X X**

Just along the western borders of the Lamakan Desert, Felix sat down with a sigh as Saturos ordered the party to stop. Thank they gods that they were out of there, Felix thought.

"I hope we don't have to go through anything like that ever again!" Jenna spoke to Kraden as she sat down next to the old Alchemy Sage.

"I concur, young Jenna. I feel I'm getting much too old to be doing journeys such as this." remarked the old man.

"You should both be grateful." Menardi told them. "If it wasn't for Saturos and I being able to control the heat, we would have all died out there. I didn't see a drop of water available anywhere in there."

"If you don't mind, Saturos, I believe there is a river nearby." Alex stated to the group leader. "We've already used up our entire supply and we desperately need some more water, now. Shall I get some?" Saturos wearily waved his hand in a 'go-right-ahead' gesture, and Alex vanished as he teleported away from sight with his Psynergy.

_Nice of him to help us out like that. _Felix thought to himself.

"I could have used that same trick to save us, once I'd learned how to do it." Jenna replied sourly to Menardi

"Yes, but your not strong enough to do it very well or for very long." Menardi snapped back, as she joined Saturos on the log he was sitting on.

"Don't worry; we'll get to do this all over again in the Suhulla Desert of the way to Venus Lighthouse." Saturos told her as she started a fire going with his Psynergy.

"Shame we can't just take the boat." Felix stated. "It would have been more convenient."

"Yes, it would have been." Saturos replied. "But it's too late to change our original plan now. We'll just have to go with the decision."

Once they'd finished dinner, which didn't take long, Saturos and Menardi quietly excused themselves to talk privately for a few moments.

"Where are they going?" Jenna asked Alex of all people. The blue haired Water Adept merely shrugged.

"Well, as we clearly aren't allowed to go anywhere." Kraden started, "I might retire for the night, if that's all right with you." The scholar then promptly made his way to his bed, and lay down to sleep away from the others.

"I shall rest also." Alex put in. "It's been a hard days walk, after all." And he, too, left; walking behind Felix's back to where his bed had been set up. That left Jenna and Felix alone by the fire. Brother and sister looking over one another. Or at least, is she was prepared to accept him for who he was again, they would be. She was staring intently into the fire, no doubt thinking of another plan to escape. Somehow, he needed to keep her with them, for her own good.

Felix sighed as he realised he would have to tell her sooner or later. About everything. But would she believe him? She still didn't exactly trust him, after all. Not since his betrayal, although he didn't think of it that way. It wasn't exactly betrayal, not exactly. It was a lot to take in, though. But she had a right to know. He would have to tell her eventually, anyway.

"I'm going to bed, too." Jenna said softly, as though to herself, not really acknowledging Felix's presence.

"Jenna, wait." Felix stopped her. The Fire Adept halted, but she didn't look at him.

"What?"

"There's something I have to tell you… about our…"

"I don't want to hear it." she snapped. "I've had enough of your so-called explanations."

"But, Jenna, I-"

"Goodnight." she snapped, as she lay down next to Kraden, untying her dark red hair and allowing it to fall loose about her shoulders.

"Goodnight, Jenna." He sighed as she turned her back on him. He sat there staring into the fire, thoughts stirring about his head. He undid the leather cord that held back his hair and let his shoulder length brown locks loose. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he decided to watch over the two of them, even though it was supposed to be Alex's turn. Now that he thought about it, the Mercury Adept had rather subtly shifted the responsibility over to him. Didn't matter, he felt like staying up anyway. He needed time to think. Somehow, he needed to regain his sister's trust; it hurt to have her treat him like this.

"You shouldn't worry about her so much." Alex's voice advised him from behind. Felix turned to see the man sitting up and looking at him with his blue eyes. "Sometimes, it's better for you to cut yourself of from the ones you care about. That way you feelings won't hurt you. After all, we all knew the sacrifices that would have to be made when we undertook this quest to light the Lighthouses."

"Yeah, you're right Alex." Felix replied softly. Sometimes, Alex did have some good advice. He certainly did his best to keep the peace.

"Think about what I said, Felix."

"I will."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Alex." He wanted to be able to take that advice, it did make sense, but Felix doubted he could. Except, the only way they could get the Mars Star would be to trade her for it, like a commodity. He couldn't do that to his sister, could he? Of course, if he took Alex's advice…

Felix was still stewing over his own thoughts when Saturos and Menardi returned.

"I thought Alex was on watch tonight." Saturos stated with a look to the Earth Adept.

"He shifted if over to me, somehow." Felix shrugged.

"Well, why don't you just…" Menardi started.

"No, it's okay." Felix replied. "I feel like watching over them. I won't be getting to sleep anytime soon, anyway."

**X X X**

Isaac awoke under the clear night sky sweating in spite of himself. None of them had bothered with blankets seeing as it was still warm, so they were just using them as makeshift mattress against the rough ground. He was still wearing only his blue tunic and breeches, but it still felt like too much clothing.

Deciding to get a drink from the nearby oasis – they didn't need Ivan's Reveal at night when it was cooler – Isaac got up. As he made his way to the small pool of water, Isaac noticed Ivan sitting up against the rocky cliff wall in the moonlight, staring at the Shaman's Rod that he was toying with in his hands.

"What's on your mind, Ivan?" Isaac asked quietly as he sat down next to him, being careful of course not to wake Garet and Mia who were sleeping soundly behind them.

"What? Oh, hi Isaac." Ivan said in a startled voice. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." Isaac shrugged. "Besides, it's probably my turn for watch soon, anyway. Although I notice it seems pretty quiet, now." In fact, it was silent. Isaac couldn't hear any sign of the monsters that roamed the desert.

"The monsters seem to come and go." Ivan shrugged. "But they haven't come here, yet. So, I was just sitting here, thinking."

"What about?" Isaac inquired casually.

"A lot of things." Ivan sighed. "After meeting Master Hama recently, what she said and how she didn't feel like a stranger to me – even though she is – it got me thinking about my past. I mean, I don't really know anything about where I came from. All I know is that Master Hammet adopted me when I was a baby at around the same time as he got his precious Shaman's Rod. That was on one of his many merchant trips when he was still just making a name for himself. I think he said he got it on another continent."

"Yes, it's all very strange and mysterious." Isaac replied. "I only wish we could find the answers."  
"Me, too. I don't know why Hammet brought this rod, but it does make a powerful weapon for my powers. I've always wondered how I got my powers and why I have them."

"Occasionally, on very rare occasions, Adepts are still born in the outside world, I suppose." Isaac shrugged. "Kraden said that everyone was always an Adept in the Lost Age, but since Alchemy was sealed away, only those near Mount Aleph and the Lighthouses any longer retain the power. I guess you're just on of those rare individuals who just come along and are born naturally with those abilities."

"Perhaps, but still, I can't help but feel that there is something more to it." Ivan replied in a sombre tone. "But it gets me thinking, who are my parents? And why did I have to be adopted? I've never had the courage to ask Master Hammet that."

"Maybe when this is all over we can ask Hammet that." Isaac told his friend reassuringly. "Master Hama, too, I think. She knows more than she's letting on."

"Yes, we'll have to." Ivan sighed. "In the mean time, when we stop off at Kalay, we can ask Master Hammet's wife, Lady Layana, if she knows anything. I mean, being well known in the palace, I'll be able to get a good room for us to stay in for the night for free, so we really can't pass up that offer, especially after this place."

"Yes, you can say that again." Isaac smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard enough from me." Ivan sighed, getting up. "I'm tired now, anyway. So, I'll let you get to watching out for those dangerous desert monsters."

"Yes, I should get a start." Isaac replied. "Goodnight, Ivan."

**X X X**

As soon as the sun rose, the unnatural heat began to rise again, and they quickly set out to trek across the desert. There was less monster activity than there had been last night, but they did still encounter a few on their way. Rather than fight in the uncomfortable, stifling heat, they chose to try and avoid as many as they could by going around. They needed to conserve their strength.

The search for oases to drink from and refresh themselves was, however, more interesting than the previous days attempt. After the first couple of hours of walking, Mia suddenly said she felt the presence of water. Ivan immediately summoned his Psynergy and cast the power of Reveal. Immediately everything in the distance vanished into blackness to their eyes, and the world nearby fell into shades of grey. Isaac caught sight of the oasis nearby, of to the side. However, the mirage that hid it also hid the monsters that were drinking from it. Several of the familiar looking pig warriors were kneeling down to sip from it, while more were standing nearby.

"Let's see if we can just scare them off." Isaac told the others. "I'm sure none of us feels like a proper fight." Isaac raised a sweat soaked hand and, using his Psynergy, created an earth tremor beneath the feet of the creatures while Ivan kept his Reveal up. The pig warriors jumped up and screeched in fright, looking about clueless. It seemed the mirage also kept them from seeing the four Adepts. Although they had ceased drinking, they weren't leaving.

"Maybe I'll just have to turn up the heat a little." Garet said, before raising his hand and using his Psynergy summoned powerful flames from the very ground itself. The pig warriors shrieked in pain and backed off, so Garet allowed the flames to subside. But they held their ground where they stopped, only metres from the oasis. They now had their swords out, and were in battle stances, glaring around challengingly.

Where had they gotten those weapons, Isaac wondered, and how did they know how to use them? In the current context of the situation, however, it seemed momentarily unimportant.

"I can't do anything while I'm holding this Reveal up!" Ivan pleaded. "Somebody do something!"

"Maybe this will scare them off…" Mia began as she pointed the orb of her Angelic Ankh at the creatures and focused her Psynergy into it. Pointy shards of ice formed out of thin air at the end, and flew at the nearest of the pigs, scattering about its body point first, and drawing out some of its blood. Shrieking in agony, the pig warrior fell to the ground and died.

Making sure they got the message, Isaac created another, stronger tremor that made the hard, dry ground beneath crack, while Garet summoned a wall of fire nearby to help them on their way. Thoroughly scared and absolutely clueless as the where the attacks were coming from, the monsters finally turned and fled, leaving behind their dead companion.

Parched and weary, the four Adepts went to the oasis and quenched their thirst, washing the sweat from their faces. It was a life saver, literally. Not wasting anytime, however, they quickly finished and continued on their way through the tortuous heat, every step a struggle as they felt more and more like finding somewhere to rest instead from the sun's gaze. If Isaac could have stayed at that oasis, he would have. But Saturos and Menardi were way ahead of them, and they had to keep moving if they were ever going to catch up to them.

Along the way, Isaac and the others made a startling discovery. At just after midday, when the temperatures were at their highest, they were desperately in need of a rest, a cool down and a drink. They finished off the last of the water that they were carrying with them – it was amazing how fast they went through their supply – then began looking for a spot to rest. They needed somewhere where there was shade, or else they'd burn up. Or better yet, an oasis. But everywhere around them, they saw the shimmering image of a seemingly endless plain of uneven rocky ground and sand. But they already knew all too well that in the Lamakan, what you see wasn't necessarily what you got. The mirages may have only been making it seem that that was all there was.

As Isaac stopped to look around, he stepped in a patch of soft sand and his leather boot sank right in.

"Ivan, cast Reveal and let's see if there's any shade nearby." Isaac called out as he struggled to pull his foot out. It wasn't the first patch of sand that he'd stepped in and had difficulty getting out of. But it appeared that it was the toughest. Both his feet, he suddenly realised, were now trapped and being dragged down further still, along the slight slope to the bottom of the sandpit ahead of him. This desert was full of dangerous traps.

Behind him, Isaac felt Ivan using his Psynergy, and then the power of Reveal swept over them. Only the few metres around them were now visible, through shades of grey. The air was now perfectly still and his vision was crystal clear, apart from the colour, but Isaac was shocked to at the truth that had now suddenly been revealed before him.

At the bottom of the pit where the sand was slowly dragging him was a massive crab-like monster with two giant pincers waiting for Isaac to come close enough for it to eat him. Somehow, it's large, plate-covered abdomen, which was embedded in the sand, prevented it from being sucked down likewise and its six spindly, pointy legs gave it added traction and allowed it to manoeuvre around freely. Hungry looking yellow eyes gazed at Isaac and its small mouth of sharp teeth chomped eagerly as Isaac came near it.

Isaac took only a second to take this in before he realised he had fallen into a trap. Panicking, he quickly struggled to get free, only causing himself to sink faster. Sinking sand! How could he have not realised? Slowly, the more he went in, the faster he slid to the awaiting beast.

Before he realised what was happening, roaring tongues of flame licked over the beast's body, causing it to howl in agony. Garet had come to help him! Already the Fire Adept was racing to the edge to grab hold of him. Ivan stood uselessly nearby, unable to do anything while he was holding the Reveal up.

Hoping to buy himself some more time before he slid right up to those giant pincers, Isaac summoned an earthquake about him. The ground shook terribly, but the beast seemed unfazed, while Isaac sank even faster! He was now up to his waist and unable to get out. He was only barely out of the reach of those sharp pincers!

Suddenly, a strong, bare hand gripped his wrist, and Isaac gripped back, holding on for dear life. Garet struggled to pull Isaac back, his other arm holding onto a nearby rock jutting out of the ground for support. It was the only thing that kept him the last few inches away from the monster's awaiting claws.

"Hold on, Isaac, I'm gonna fry this freak to ashes!" Garet called out, narrowing his eyes as the blue glow of Psynergy formed about his body.

"Hold it, Garet!" Isaac shouted. "I'm too close! You'll hit me as well!" With the intense heat about them, the extra warmth from Garet's flames at that proximity would probably kill him; if it was a strong enough attack to damage this creature. Garet held back with a growl and continued pulling as hard as he could, the veins sticking out clearly from his forearms as the blue glow faded. If there had been any hard stone around apart from what Garet was holding onto, he would have used his Earth Psynergy to form a stone spire to hurl into this beast. But all that was available was sand, which was useless.

Garet was at the edge of his endurance, his fingers beginning to slip, and those pincers were snapping menacingly close to Isaac's half sunken body.

Suddenly a hail of sharp icicles, point down, rained on the sand beasts, digging into its thick hide making it shriek. It backed off, using its crab like legs to push the body away, leaving Isaac temporarily safe. Mia stood next to Garet and blasted a stream of Psynergy formed water at it. As it splashed all over it's body, she waved her hand, and the water froze to ice, holding it in place momentarily. Now Isaac just needed to free himself.

Then a thought occurred to him. He was an Earth Adept. He was in his element. Focusing his mind, Isaac summoned all the Psynergy within his body and channelled it at the sinking sand, and willed it to stop moving. Now, if he could just climb out. He couldn't make the sand turn to solid, but he had another idea.

While he held onto the tenuous link that prevented him from sinking further, he called upon an old ability he knew called Growth. It was an ability that he had learned when he first begun his Adept training, the first trick. It was fairly simple, really. He could make small flowers or plants of a simple variety grow from the soil, or already existing plants grow better, all to the shape or form that he willed.

Casting his Psynergy, a thick weed formed in the ground next to him, and grew out, a large green vine that he could hold onto. Isaac used it to pull himself out of the sand, whereupon Garet helped him back onto the safe, stable ground. Isaac sighed in relief at the close call rescue. Before, he could only, at best, form small flowers or weeds that didn't last long at all. Now he was capable of forming large vines that could support his body weight. And all four of them had gained as much extra strength since setting out. Perhaps the four of them together could potentially pose a reasonable threat to beings as powerful as Saturos and Menardi, even without something like mercury Lighthouse to aid them.

Behind Isaac, the vine he had formed crumbled apart into what it had been formed from, while the sand monster broke free of the ice and turned to growl at them in defeat. Unable to control himself, Isaac turned and unleashed his full strength at the beast. Using his most powerful attack, Gaia, the ground beneath and around the monster exploded in white light as it gave up its energy; the powerful force ripping up both the environment and the beast. When his sight cleared, nothing remained of the spot where it had been, just a mess of strewn sand, blood and body parts.

_I destroyed it in one blast,_ he realised. Perhaps he had underestimated his own strength. Breathing heavily, Isaac sunk to his knees, his body feeling drained. He'd used up so much energy, and the desert heat had already sapped a good deal of his body's strength.

"Let me have a look at you." Mia said as she sat next to him. Ivan let his Reveal dissipate as he joined them.

"Well, you aren't injured in any way." she murmured, looking him over. "Just exhausted. You really need a rest. We all do."

"Hey, guys, I think we've got company!" Ivan observed as he looked back. Up on a rocky ridge some distance away, stood more than a dozen of those ugly, pink pig warriors brandishing their scavenged swords and looking down on the Adepts hungrily. They must have come while Ivan had Reveal up, they wouldn't have been able to see the monsters approach at that distance. Isaac could only guess what they were thinking though. Weakened prey.

"Let's get out of here." Isaac suggested. "None of us are in any shape to fight." With that, they turned and ran across the baked plains with the pig warriors in hot pursuit. It was hot and they were too weary to sprint very far or very fast, while their foes were fresh and used to the heat. Then Ivan got an idea.

"We can't outrun them or fight them." he realised, "so let's lose them!" Turning, Ivan quickly used his Psynergy to summon the wind, something that rarely occurred naturally in the Lamakan Desert. The vortex quickly picked up strength, whipping up sand behind them. The creatures, now effectively blind with the level of sand in the air, stopped to cover their eyes, while they waited for the sandstorm to subside.

"Quickly! It won't be long before they get out and see us!" Ivan called out. Using the last of their strength and endurance, they rushed for a nearby small valley in the cliff rock and raced through. Once they were far enough through to be sure those monsters couldn't find them, they finally sat down to rest. At least in here it was shady, a blessing in the desert. Isaac was somewhat confused other monsters didn't rest here, but he really didn't care. It was a place to rest. Lying down, Isaac let his aching muscles ease. But it was still unbearably hot, his mouth was parched and he needed to cool down even more.

Mia kindly vested her dwindling strength to form a few drops of water above each of them, which slid graciously down their faces.

After a while, Isaac looked up in the sky. It was getting late noon. Only a couple more hours of daylight left. It was still as hot as midday, though. They would need to rest soon. But without more water, they couldn't last long.

"Let's move on." Isaac stated. "There's got to be an oasis nearby. We'll keep going till we find one, then rest there the night." With a groan, they all got up and set off down the winding rocky valley, grateful for the shade protecting them.

They didn't have far to go. Only after a while of walking, they found a small pool of desert water resting in the lowest point of the valley in the shade so it was nice and cool. Isaac had never been so glad to have found water in his life. They all drank deeply, crushing their dry thirst and even washing in the water to cool off and clean the large amount of sweat off their skin. Then they settled down to make camp for the night.

**X X X**

As soon as the sun rose, Isaac was awakened, and he roused the others. Quickly, they set off, before the heat became unbearable again. They had already trekked for two days and Isaac hoped to make good time so that this would be the last. None of them wanted to spend a second longer in here than they had too.

It didn't take long for them to leave the small valley that they had made camp in, and its lovely shade in an otherwise dry, desolate wasteland. On they went across the sunburnt ground of dry sand and hard dirt, with nothing but rocks and cliffs dotting the uneven landscape. The only other life forms apart from the four Adepts were the monsters that had been warped from Psynergy Stones. They encountered less of them today than yesterday. Isaac guessed, well, more hoped, it was because they had passed through the heart of the desert and were now nearing the edge. If so, this tiresome journey might even end today.

Apart from another one of those fire-breathing red-skinned salamanders, which seemed to ignore them as it feasted on a carcass, the only troublesome creatures they encountered were the pig-warriors, which they were usually able to easily scare off with a small display of Psynergy. Apart from the agonising heat, which bore down on them constantly as they trudged beneath an unforgiving sun, the journey was fairly easy. At least until lunchtime.

After stopping briefly at another oasis, they entered a particular rocky, cliffy area; they followed a slightly lower valley like area simply because it was in shadow, along to the taller cliffs that blocked the way ahead. They must have reached near the western mountain the bordered the Lamakan. That was good. Isaac was beginning to think that they might really need an oasis soon when they reached a dead end.

"Great, we come all this way, and then we have to turn back and go around!" Garet groaned as they stopped. "I hate this stupid desert!"

"I only wish we could find Silk Road again." Ivan sighed. "Then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Isaac made no reply as he looked at the cliff ahead of them, its image shimmering to his sight, just like everything else. He could feel the earth within it, just like everything else around him, when he really thought about it. But the cliff felt partially empty, as though it were missing something. Maybe if those mirages were…

"Isaac, hurry up!" Mia called out. "You'll burn up if we don't find an oasis soon!"

"Wait a second, Ivan, use Reveal on this cliff for a second." he replied.

"Okay, but I don't know what you expect to find." Ivan shrugged as he summoned his Psynergy and formed a Reveal about them. They couldn't see anything beyond its range of effect, as though a black veil had been draped over it, but immediately about them things were crystal clear and shades of grey. Ahead of them, the cliff was perfectly formed in a dark grey, but a large cave mouth was clearly visible ahead of them, leading deeper into the gut rock. In the entrance sat a giant monster apparently resting.

It was massive, with a green scaled body, large scorpion like tail with a poison stinger and a snarling head with rows of sharp teeth and yellow eyes. It made no move, but glared at them challengingly at having disturbed its rests. It was the biggest, most deadly looking beast they had encountered so far. Isaac felt terrified at the thought of having to face that thing, exhausted and heat stricken as they were.

Involuntarily, they backed up a little.

"Forget this, no way! I can't concentrate my Psynergy now!" Garet exclaimed.

"We can't over exert ourselves!" Mia cautioned. "Otherwise we'll faint! And in this desert, that would mean death!"

_If only we had found an oasis recently…_ Isaac thought to himself.

"All right, everyone, let's turn back and find a way over the mountains!" Isaac called out.

"But this is the way over!" Ivan told him. "Well, through, anyway. I remember now, the Silk Road travelled through a tunnel on the western border of the Lamakan. This is it; we somehow found our way back onto the road!"

Isaac looked around at the surrounding terrain. He realised then that the ground running in between the valley walls was surprisingly flat and worn down, especially compared with the rest of the desert. He hadn't noticed because the heat distracted him too much.

Ahead of the party, the creature sat in its cave, the tunnel through the mountains, and glared at them warily. Somehow, they were going to have to get past if they were to pursue Saturos.

"Isaac, I don't really feel much like fighting this thing…" Garet moaned. The beast was positioned making it clear it didn't to just let them pass.

"Don't worry, Garet. We don't have to kill it." Isaac reassured his friend. "We just have to lure it out and get past."

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Mia asked

"Ivan, you have to power to put things to sleep, can you do it?" Isaac asked.

"It doesn't normally work too well if something's wide awake." The Jupiter Adept replied. "But seeing as it's relaxed and resting, it shouldn't be too bad." With that, he raised his hands and summoned his Psynergy upon the monster. To the Adept's eyes, white little motes of energy danced about the monster's head. It continued glaring at them as though waiting for them to attack. Slowly, its eyelids drooped down over yellow pupils. Its head lowered slowly to the ground, and soon it was asleep soundly.

"Good work, Ivan!" Garet grinned. "Now, let's get out of here!"

The four of them quickly crept past the slumbering monster and hurried through the tunnel along Silk Road. Soon, they would be able to leave this desert, and head for Kalay for a proper rest. Isaac's heart felt lightened and his pace quickened with eagerness at the thought. Once free of here, the road should be easier.

Leaving the Lamakan Desert behind them, the four Adepts continued on, determined to succeed in their quest to save the world from the power of Alchemy.

**A/N: **And that's the desert done. (dusts hands) I'll tell you what, with the hot summer we aussies have right now, I was in the right mood and temperature to be writing this chapter. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. One of my better ones, I thought.

Now, before I go, just a word regarding the future of this fic. While I can guarantee that it WILL be done, on my honour, there are a few things I should mention first. After Kalay, as I'm sure you know, there's the option to rescue Hammet from Lunpa. I won't be putting this in, I have decided. My reasoning is as follows. In order to rescue him, you can only do so after you have the Cloak Orb from Babi. But I thought, why go all the way from Tolbi to Lunpa to rescue Hammet, when the people you are following are still going on ahead? That would, realistically, put them too far behind to possibly catch up just in time at Venus. So, it won't happen. Tough luck, Hammet, you'll just have to live in your crappy, lousy, rat-infested cell a while longer.

Also, as many of you know, Crossbone Isle resides in the Karagol Sea. The Karagol will feature in the chapter after next. Many of you are probably wondering "will he include it"? The answer is, I don't know yet. We shall see, when I begin writing it.

Speaking of the next chapter, you'll be pleased to know (I'm sure) that it is already halfway written, and won't take very long to complete. It's only a short chap (well, relatively speaking, in comparison to my usual length), so you shouldn't need to wait too long. Then its straight to sailing the high seas, or sea, rather, of the Karagol! But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!

Anyway, that's it from me, so until next time, take care, live long and prosper! Adios amigos.


	19. A Rest in Kalay

**A/N: **See, told y'all it'd be a quick update! Before I go any further, I should just mention that the chapter title for the last instalment (Desert Heat) was given to me by my good mate, Josh. I shoulda mentioned that, but I didn't.

Okay, this is a shorter chapter (by my standards) but hopefully satisfies you. I'll let ya get to reading it then!

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**A REST IN KALAY**

When they had finally left the bane of the Lamakan Desert's heat, it felt like a huge relief for Isaac, and no doubt the other three as well. They immediately stopped at a nearby river, jumping in, fully clothed, to cool off. They took huge drinks of the clear, clean water and washed off all the sweat and grime from their bodies that had gathered throughout the ordeal of their three-day trek. Isaac had never felt such relief at having left a hot place, except maybe from the erupting Mount Aleph.

Although the refreshing cold water and the cool, fresh air felt great, he knew he still absolutely had to go. The quest impelled, urged him on. He simply must succeed. The river of water, the cool air and the fields of green grass were a stark contrast to the sun scorched sands of the Lamakan, and he felt like resting here a moment more. But he knew they had to keep on moving. Saturos and his party would be moving quickly, eager to light the Lighthouses as soon as possible so they could release Alchemy and seize its power for themselves.

So, after only a brief and seemingly too short rest, Isaac ordered everyone to get a move on towards the nearby merchant town of Kalay. He didn't like giving orders, but knew it was necessary to get them moving again.

Besides, Ivan had already assured them that they would be able to stay at master Hammet's palace for the night, and Isaac didn't want to miss out on that. They hadn't had a real good sleep since Xian. There were advantages; it seemed, to being the servant of a very wealthy and well known merchant.

They spent most of the day walking to Kalay along Silk Road, after crossing the river. It was a quiet trip, uneventful, which was good because Isaac didn't feel much like over exerting himself just yet.

It was nearly late afternoon when they reached Kalay, and Ivan was clearly pleased to be back home. Isaac wished that he could go back home to Vale. They were closer now than they had been since they left Vault, which was just north of them now. If they travelled well, they could probably make it in four days.

But of course, they couldn't. As much as he wanted to go home and see his mother, they still had their quest to fulfil. He couldn't return until he had the remaining Elemental Stars. And maybe the Mercury Star, too, if they could extinguish the beacon. When this quest was over, maybe they could spare the time to try and find a way to do that. Isaac figured they would probably have to eventually, anyway. They couldn't just leave that blazing beacon of power there, even if it did provide Hermes's Water to cure Imil's sick.

His thoughts of the quest, however, soon left his mind as Ivan began leading them through the streets of Kalay. The town of commerce and trade, populated by merchants and bargain-hunters alike, was a varied, bright and alive bustle of activity. All along the streets that criss-crossed the expansive looking, well designed buildings were merchants and business owners behind stalls crying their wares, showing off the quality of their goods and bartering with potential buyers.

There were all sorts of various products on show. There were dozens of stands with silk from Xian, which probably cost a lot more now that Silk Road was cut off by the desert, exotic fruits and vegetables from all over Angara, Gondowan and beyond, strange looking birds in cages and exquisite works of craftsmanship. It was clear why Kalay was the trading capital of Angara. There was such an air of excitement and commerce in the air, Isaac almost felt like going out and buying himself something.

"This town was founded by Master Hammet years before he adopted me." Ivan explained. "Back when he first began his long, successful career as a great merchant. And he founded this town with his own money when he made his first fortune. He is the Lord of the town and the surrounding area, and many merchants come here to make money and follow his advice hoping to become as successful as he is. Since he's been kidnapped, his wife, Lady Layana, is probably in control. Which is another reason and I want to visit Hammet's Palace. To find out what's been going on, as well as have a place to stay for the night."  
As they approached the palace, Isaac got his first look at where Ivan lived and worked. The only comparable structure Isaac could think of was Lord McCoy's palace in Bilibin. It was of a similar size, but its architecture was different, much like the other buildings around, which Ivan had said was like those of north Gondowan in design. It was elaborately decorated, clearly the property of an extremely well-to-do merchant.

As they approached, two guards brandishing spears in polished armour stopped them by standing in front of the door.

"This is Lord Hammet's Palace." One of them said. "The Lord is away, currently. Please begone."

"We will happily welcome visitors once Lord Hammet has returned." The other reassured the group.

"Don't worry, leave this to me." Ivan whispered to Isaac before approaching the guards. "What about me? Can I still come in? I need to see Lady Layana." The two guards looked at each other clueless for a moment, searching one another's face for a sign the other recognised their master's servant. Did they even know who Ivan was? "Don't you remember me? I haven't been gone that long!"

"Uh…" the two guards looked at him, then the other suddenly spoke up in realisation. "Hey, it's you, Ivan! Hey, Ivan, long time no see! It really is you! You look so much older now! And your tan…!"

"Wow, you really have grown up in such a short time, Ivan!" the other piped up. "I can't believe it! You don't look like the same meek servant who left Kalay a few weeks back!"

_I guess we probably all look a little different after all we've been through._ Isaac reflected.

"I'm so glad those low-life thieves freed you!" the other guard said. "Do you know if Lord Hammet will also be released?"

"I don't know, I wasn't actually there." Ivan answered. "I haven't heard anything since his capture."

"You haven't heard?" the first guard exclaimed. "Looks like we'll have to fill you in. What happened to you, then? Where have you been?"

"Well, that's quite a long story…" Ivan answered. "But I'd better tell it to Lady Layana."

"I understand. These are friends of yours, I presume?" The guard asked and Ivan nodded. "Then you are all welcome here. I shall take you to the lady at once. Come, follow me." He opened the ornate, double doors and led hem through, ordering his companion to cover for him while he was gone. The guard led them through the corridors of Hammet Palace. There were many expensive looking paintings and vases decorating the wall as they followed the plush carpet to the meeting room.

"So why didn't those Lunpa scum didn't take you, Ivan?" the guard asked as they followed. "Weren't you with Lord Hammet?"  
Ivan shook his head. "I remained in Vault to look for his stolen rod."

"Stolen? Someone stole his rod? You mean the Shaman's Rod?"

"Yes, the Shaman's Rod." The Wind Adept answered, showing them the item in question that he held in his hand. "But I was able to recover it… with the help of Isaac and Garet here."

"Then Lord Hammet must still be imprisoned in Lunpa…" the guard mused. "Terrrible. Great man, Hammet is; it would be a shame to lose him. I look forward to hearing what happened… ah, here we are, Lady Layana's room." He stood before a carved oak door, and knocked loudly with a gauntleted hand. A soft voice called for him to enter.

Upon entering Lady Layana's room, Isaac was struck by the lavish decorations. Golden ornaments and candle stands, fine silk curtains, fine paintings, this one room alone must be worth tens of thousands of gold coins.

Relaxing in a red velvet chair, reading a leather bound book, was Lady Layana. She was a beautiful looking woman, still short of her middle years, with waves of thick, curly red hair falling to below her shoulders. "Guardsman, what is-?" Her voice cut off as she laid eyes upon Ivan. "Ivan… is that you? It is! Come here, dear! Where have you been? What happened?" She stood and gave the servant a warm hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Miss Layana." He smiled, returning the hug.

"Yes, indeed. Please, have a seat, all of you." She motioned to the other cushioned chairs surrounding a small table. "We have so much to talk about. Ivan, who are your new friends?" The Jupiter Adept introduced everyone as they took their seats in the surprisingly comfortable chairs. Layana ordered the guard to fetch refreshments, while asking Ivan to tell her everything.

Ivan told most of the story, beginning from witnessing the Aleph eruption in Vault, and losing the Shaman's Rod. Occasionally Garet added in something, while Isaac remained silent and let his friends do all the talking. When Ivan began telling her about Imil and Mercury Lighthouse, Mia spoke up and explained some more, but Ivan continued speaking for the most part all through Kolima, Fuchin, Mogall, Altin and the Lamakan. When he finally finished his tale with their arrival in Kalay, he took a deep breath, leaned back in his chair and said, "… and that's pretty much everything. I know it's a lot, but the last few weeks for me, us, have been pretty busy."

For a moment Layana was in a shocked silence, the golden goblet of wine in her hand momentarily forgotten, eyebrows slightly raised, red lips open. Finally, she regained her composure, took a sip of wine, and said, "And I thought the tales Hammet told were incredible. Ivan… I don't know what to say." She'd hardly said anything during the explanation at all, only asking a few questions when something wasn't clear, but otherwise listening in rapt silence.

"When I had heard that you were back, Ivan, I had dared to hope…" she faltered slightly and then regained her composure, "that Hammet had returned with you."

"The last I heard, Hammet was still locked up in Lunpa Castle." Ivan replied. "So, what has been happening in Lunpa since I was gone? I haven't heard anything since leaving Vault." Isaac and the others didn't say much, but were content to sit and let him do most of the talking.

"Only bad things." she replied with a sigh. "As you know, the leadership passed from its founder, Lunpa the noble thief, to his son Donpa, and then to it's current ruler, Lunpa's grandson…"

"You mean this Dodonpa guy?" Garet asked.

"Yes. Dodonpa – I refuse to call him a Lord - is a very evil man." she replied. "His father, Donpa, is heartbroken at the state of Lunpa now, I have heard. Dodonpa has completely overturned the cities traditions into evil and corruption incarnate. Neither of the previous rulers would have allowed this to happen. Not at all."

"So, what happened?" Ivan pressed.

"Not long after Hammet was captured, we received a message signed by Dodonpa himself, demanding a heavy ransom in exchange for Hammet's life."

"Did you send it?" he asked. She nodded. "When?"

"Let's see…" she mused, "First, the volcano erupted… the ransom note came right after that. We sent him the money straight away. I hate to let that villain win like that, but we had no choice. Hammet's life was in danger!"

"It's been quite a while since the eruption…" Ivan mused. "You don't think… that they might actually not set him free, do you?" She sighed, staring into her wine.

"I don't like the idea of it, but I think it might be possible." Isaac said to break the silence. "From what I've heard of this place, it sounds just like the sort of thing that they'd do."

"Yes, I agree, Isaac." Ivan responded. "I don't want to believe it, but something seems wrong about this. It's been more than enough time for Hammet to have made it back by now."

"Are you suggesting he may never come back?" Lady Layana exclaimed, with concern and worry in her voice. Ivan nodded soberly in reply.

"I have to agree with Ivan." Garet spoke up, "If they were going to release him, they'd have done it by now. I met a couple of these Lunpa bandits in Vault, and I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them."

"I am sorry, Lady Layana," Mia told the frowning woman, "but I think Ivan might be right."  
Lady Layana set her wine down and began pacing up and down the room, softly rubbing her smooth chin with one delicate hand, thinking about the situation, murmuring to herself. "You're right, there's no use in kidding myself, as Hammet would say. But… what can we do? How can we rescue Hammet? What…" she choked a sob. "…what if something has happened to him?"

"Let us handle this!" one of the soldiers by the door offered. Isaac had almost forgotten them until they spoke up. "My lady, this is exactly what the soldiers of Kalay are here for! Just give the word, and we shall storm Lunpa and bring Hammet back!"

"I cannot do that…" Layana replied softly, slowly, "Not without thinking it over carefully… How can we guarantee Hammet's safety if we send soldiers to attack? You see, I cannot do it. I cannot put Hammet's life at risk…" It was clear she cared very much for the well being of her husband.

"Can't we do something to help?" Garet asked Isaac. "It doesn't seem fair to let this happen, and we are partly responsible, what with setting off the eruption and all…"

"I'd love to help out, Garet," Isaac replied, "but you know we can't. We have got to go after Saturos and Menardi, and we don't know how far ahead they are."

"Yeah, I know, but…" the Fire Adept trailed off. "It isn't right."

"What are you two talking about?" Layana enquired.

"I was wondering if we could help, somehow." Garet answered.

"It is too dangerous." Layana replied with a firm shake of her head. "If you fail, your lives will be in danger, too. Besides, you have your own quest to continue, which is far more important."

"But what will happen to Lord Hammet?" Mia asked. "I feel sorry for him, being locked away like that."

"Hammet is a good hostage for them..." she explained. "They won't kill him, he's more valuable alive. We shall simply have to wait for another message from Lunpa."

"Miss Layana, I can't leave like this..." Ivan started. "I can't just abandon Master Hammet, he's like a father to me…"

"It will be fine, Ivan." she smiled. "I understand your concern, but your quest with Isaac is far more important now. Hammet would not want to distract you from-" she cut off abruptly.

"From what?" Isaac asked

"I suppose I shouldn't keep it a secret anymore." she answered after a brief pause of contemplation. "You have every right to know all of this now, Ivan... You see, long ago, Hammet swore an oath to a Jupiter Adept."

"A Jupiter Adept?" they all exclaimed.

"Yes. I knew the prophecy was true when I had heard that you, Isaac and Garet, were from Vale."

"What prophecy?" Ivan probed. "Who was this Jupiter Adept?"

"The prophecy… Three years after a terrible storm strikes Mount Aleph, Ivan must depart on a journey with warriors from Vale, and the fate of the world shall hang in the balance. So it was foretold."

"I never heard anything about this prophecy." Ivan told her.

"It happened several years before Hammet founded Kalay... before he met me. Hammet felt that he had reached an impasse as a merchant then. He risked his life on a journey to find a new source of business on another continent. He was in mortal danger at the south western edge of the world, when some Adepts appeared and save his life. He had lost consciousness. When he awoke, he found himself in their village."

"Just a moment." Ivan interrupted, "Am I from that village?"

"Yes." she answered, "The Adepts were Jupiter Adepts, as you may have guessed. They were the last remnants of their Clan, who had long since lost their homes and any hope of surviving to the next generation. They passed away not long after, for they were very old. They gave him the Shaman's Rod and a baby... named Ivan."

"You mean… I was a descendant of the Jupiter Clan?" he exclaimed. "That means… I'm the last of them… wow…"

"Yes..." she continued. "It was quite a shock for him, but they gave him little choice in the matter, and made him swear to look after you. They also gave him several doubloons to help ensure a good upbringing for you."

"Doubloons?" Garet whistled. Doubloons were very valuable, worth several hundred regular gold coins each.

"Yes, it was a lot of gold, but he also received some business advice. He was advised to buy silk in Xian and sell it in Tolbi. To see anything sell so well, it was like a dream come true. There's no denying that was when Hammet picked up his knack for business."

"Does that mean… he met my parents?" Ivan asked hopefully.

She shook her head sadly. "No, they said your parents were… well, they said you were their last child, all the others were too old to continue the Clan's legacy. Only one other child of the Clan remained… a young girl who was taken by a group of traveling monks."

"But… he met my… my real family I guess, right?" Ivan asked

"I can't say. There were only a few Jupiter Adepts, all too old, a young girl and a baby. They gave you to him with the other items.

The Wind Adept sighed. "Gee, I, uh… well, did he have to promise them anything in return?"

"Ah, yes, it is something you will need on your journey. The Adepts asked Hammet to use the Shaman's Rod to obtain it. He looked for this object wherever he went... But he could never find it. Then, three years ago, a storm struck, one that hit only Mount Aleph...Hammet told me he was worried that time was running out...but he had managed to unearth a clue just in time. That, Ivan, is why he took you with the caravan on his last journey north."

"I had no idea..." he said. "So that must be why he left the rod in my care. But then, that means his capture was all my-"

"No, Ivan." Mia stopped him. "You mustn't blame yourself..."

"But it was my carelessness that allowed the rod to be stolen." he protested. "And ultimately, that's why Lord Hammet is being held in Lunpa..."

"You must continue your journey and complete your quest." Layana told him in a tone that brooked no argument, "You can't blame yourself."

"But what will happen to Master Hammet?"

"I will handle this." she told him. "Continue on your journey, and do not worry about Hammet. It is what he would have wanted. What he was told you must do. What the Jupiter Adepts wanted." She looked to the object that Ivan held tightly in his hands. "I am sorry I cannot tell you more about the Shaman's Rod."

"So… the Shaman's Rod will help us find that thing we need for our quest to succeed, right?" Garet asked.

"Yes. I don't know what it is, but it will be needed. That is why they gave the rod. Will you look for it?"

"Of course we will." Isaac answered, "I'll do whatever I have to, to succeed in our quest."

"If Isaac says he will, then there's nothing to worry about!" Garet declared, giving his friend a hearty pat on the back.

"Well, we have talked for a long time." she said, looking out the window. Isaac looked out and was surprised to find it was late at night. "We should all get some sleep, we can continue talking tomorrow."

**X**

Their stay at Hammet Palace was quite luxurious to say the least. Isaac hadn't received treatment like that since Xian. They were well fed with delicious, sumptuous meals, and slept in comfortable beds. Isaac wished that they could only stay another night, it was quite nice. But unfortunately, they had to leave the next morning, after a quick breakfast.

Ivan spoke privately with Lady Layana for some time before rejoining his companions. When he did, his purple eyes were deep in thought, but he did not appear as troubled and confused as he did before.

For a moment, who looked at the north gate of Kalay, as though considering heading to Lunpa himself.

"You're thinking about Hammet, aren't you?" Isaac guessed.

"Yes…"

"Ivan… I won't hold it against you if you want to rescue him yourself. I'll understand; if my father were still alive and held prisoner somewhere, I'd be tempted to go out and save him, no matter the consequences to the world."

Ivan hesitated a little before speaking. "Thanks, Isaac, but… I've been talking with Lady Layana, and thinking about it a lot last night, and… well, I've made my decision. The quest is more important. I want to save him, I really do, but I can't. When I first went to Lunpa, I knew all about your quest, but I still wanted to rescue him more. When I found it was impossible, that was when my desire to help you took over. But if I could have… I probably never would have joined you and Garet. I could go now, but I've realized… I can't let my sentiments get the better of me, I have to finish this quest. I know it's bad to leave Hammet there, but… well, I've decided to go with you, Isaac."

"Thank you, Ivan. Maybe when this quest is all over, maybe we could go back and save him."

"Yes, maybe." His purple eyes lit up with hope. Layana joined the group, and wished them luck with their journey. The four of them couldn't thank Lady Layana enough for her hospitality and kindness. Leaving the manor behind them, they made their way through the streets of Kalay to head onwards with their quest.

Passing through the markets, they stopped briefly at several different stalls to purchase extra food and various provisions for their journey, as various other things they felt they'd need, and got them at fairly good prices, too. Mia found a stand selling healing potions and salves, and bought a few items that she didn't yet have and felt might be useful. Once they were sure they had everything that they needed, they headed for Kalay's south gate towards Kalay docks along the shore of the Karagol Sea.

"You know, if we sail across the Karagol Sea, we might just gain a whole lot of time on Saturos, if he takes the Silk Road around." Isaac noted, looking at the map. Ivan remained silent, still brooding on the things he had just learned last night. "Let's hope that they do at least, because we're way behind enough as it is." He quickened his step, trying to avoid a merchant trying to convince him to buy some weird looking fruit.

"So what, we're going to go sailing over the Karagol Sea, then?" Garet asked, avoiding another merchant.

"It should be cheaper than usual at this time of the year, because they would get a lot of business from people wanting to go see Colosso." Ivan informed them, breaking his silence. "However, there will be a lot of people who are going to be on the boat, especially seeing as Colosso starts tomorrow."

"Okay, I've heard a lot about this Colosso, but what exactly is it?" Isaac asked. "It sounds like some sort of big event, yet I don't know quite what it is."

"It's a big competition held in Tolbi every year." The Wind Adept explained. "The most powerful warriors from all over the world come to compete against each other, to see who is the greatest of all the fighters. The winners get huge rewards and status, and are allowed to join the Tolbi army, which only accepts Colosso winners. That's why it's the most powerful fighting force in all of Angara or Gondowan. Colosso is the most popular event around. Huge crowds attend every year to see it."

"Hey, that sounds pretty interesting." Garet noted. "I wouldn't mind going to see this Colosso event."

"Garet, you know we don't have time to waste on watching tournaments." Isaac gently reminded is companion. "Maybe you can go and watch next year."

"Yeah, I know, but still… if we weren't so busy, I wouldn't even mind entering myself."

"Are you crazy!" Ivan exclaimed. "Do you even know what it is you're up against? What happens in those fights?"

"What? Beat up the other guy? Yeah, I can do that!" Garet replied. "I'm a Fire Adept, they wouldn't have a chance against me!"

"Garet, people die in those battles!" Ivan told him. "It's not necessary to kill your opponent to win, but it does happen a lot, whether intentionally or accidentally."

"That sounds awful." Mia moaned. "Why would any one want to watch _that_! Who would come up with that sort of idea?"

"That'd be Lord Babi, the leader of Tolbi." Ivan informed her. "He's a fairly old man, who has been leader for as long as I can remember. He started the tournament to build up a powerful army for Tolbi of only the most powerful warriors in the land. This might, combined with the huge economic revenue the event brings in is what makes his city rich and powerful, even more so than Kalay."

"So I take it he likes power, then?" Isaac guessed.

"Yeah, Hammet only allows Kalay to continue trading with Tolbi simply because it's crucial for the economy to work." Ivan replied. "Babi has already used his power to conquer the entire northern Gondowan coast, including Suhulla and Lalivero."

"Some people really are too greedy for their own good." Mia muttered.

"So once we cross the Karagol into Gondowan, we're under the law of Tolbi." Ivan stated. "The only thing remaining that even remotely resembles an empire in the entire known world."

"I suppose with so many people in Tolbi, we might have trouble locating Saturos and Menardi's group." Mia sighed. "But they'd be heading for Venus Lighthouse, right? It's the only place they could be heading for."

"Looks like it." Garet shrugged. "Anyway, where is this Karagol Sea? I've never seen the sea before, so I want to get there fast!"

"Kalay Docks are a little way out of the actual town of Kalay, along the border of the sea." Ivan explained. "It may be a bit expensive, but taking the boat across will be the quickest way to get to Tolbi."

**X**

Kalay Docks was not that far away and they quickly arrived. Isaac stood at the shore, and gazed out across the Karagol Sea.

"Wow, so this is the ocean that Kraden told us about!" he murmured in appreciation. He hadn't imagined anything like this! Endless water as far as the eye could sea, constantly in wavelike motion. He couldn't even see the other side!

"Hey, Kraden wasn't kidding when he said that the ocean was impressive to see!" Garet added. "Who would have imagined that there could be so much water in one place?"

"Actually, you two," Ivan interrupted, "this isn't a real ocean. The Karagol Sea is surrounded by land, you see, so it's actually an inland sea. The ocean is in fact what surrounds land, not the other way around."

"But… it looks just like Kraden described!" Garet protested.

"If this isn't the ocean, then I wonder what a real one looks like." Isaac questioned no-one in particular.

"Hey, Isaac, one day we gotta go and a see a real ocean, like what Kraden was telling us." Garet declared.

"Actually, Isaac, Garet," Mia started, "a real ocean looks just the same as an inland sea like the Karagol. You aren't really missing out on much."

"That doesn't make much sense." Garet replied slowly. "If they both look the same, how can they be different?"

"I have to agree, Garet." Isaac added, "Shouldn't they be the same thing, Mia?"

"Well, maybe. But there not, so there." The Water Adept shrugged.

"Never mind, let's just get on the boat and get sailing." Isaac said. "We can't let them get any further ahead of us than what they already are."

Kalay Dock was almost like a small village along the shoreline. A few buildings and warehouses surrounded the docks where currently only a single large passenger ship was in dock by the pier. And that was when Isaac realized he was finally looking at the first boat he had ever seen in his life.

A massive wooden vessel floated on the gently rolling water, with a single, large crows nest in the center of what Isaac guessed must be the deck. Along each side were rows of oars that, to his knowledge, were supposed to make the ship move in the water.

"That's impossible!" he exclaimed, "How can something that big float? It must way a tonne!"

"No kidding, Isaac!" Garet joined in. "Surely that thing should just sink like a rock? Or, in this case, a huge hunk of wood…"

"I see me and Mia have a lot to explain to you two villagers about sea travel." Ivan laughed merrily.

"We'll explain it all…" Mia also chuckled. "But for now, let's just board the ship."

The four Adepts approached the boarding ramp, and together boarded the Tolbi-bound boat.

**A/N: **Another chap done, another step closer to completion. Someone asked me recently, how many chapter do I think this will go for, and after giving it some thought, I think it's going to be about 10 or so, give or take.

Well, next up, the Karagol! A much more action packed chappie for ye, with big octopus, squid type things. The old sea salts call 'em Krakens, I believe. Big fella's, sink a full ship single handedly, they will. Anyone who encounters them disappears... and is never seen again…

Anyhow, until then, cya next time!


	20. Dangers of the Karagol

Hello, everyone, I hope ye all fare well on this fine day (or night, whenever you happen to be reading). Here we have it, another exciting, fun filled, action packed chapter, on the Karagol Sea!

Just before I start, I'd just like to give a big thank you to anyone how has reviewed thus far. Your thoughts, opinions, reflections, questions, suggestions, criticisms, etc. have all been a great encouragement for me to continue writing. After all, writing is a symbiotic relationship between writer and reader. If no one read, there wouldn't be no show, and if that was really so, then that would really blow. So thank you all.

Well, here's your chapter, then. Enjoy!

PS: Another thank you to my mate, Josh, who once again suggested another good chapter title when all I could come up with was a mediocre one. Thanx mate!

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**THE DANGERS OF THE KARAGOL**

They paid one of the large sailors on guard to let them on board, ascending the ramp. Standing on the deck felt somewhat uncomfortable for Isaac, and not very safe. The boat rocked slowly back and forth, so the deck was unstable and he had to continuously keep shifting his weight in order to keep balance.

"Is the boat meant to be doing this?" he asked in a concerned tone. "It doesn't feel too good."

"Relax, Isaac, its fine." Ivan replied. "The boat's just rocking with the waves. You'll get used to it eventually. Either that, or get sea sick."

"That doesn't sound too good…" Garet moaned. "What's sea sickness?"

"Getting sick from the motion of the boat." Ivan explained. "I've been on plenty of boat trips, so I know what to expect. What about you, Mia?"

"I've been on boats before, but not for a while." she replied. "But if either of them doesn't feel well, I'm confident I can heal them. It's quite simple to do, really."

All about them were dozens of passengers and sailors milling about the decks, the sailors were working to get the ship ready for sail, the passengers seemingly getting in the way. Every few seconds, they heard a sailor curse a passenger for being in their way as they stalked the deck with heavy bits of rope. The deeply tanned men seemed to move about quite normally, as though the wave like rocking of the boat didn't affect them.

Still, some of the passengers seemed to be getting impatient to be going, several times Isaac had already heard one of them ask a sailor when they would get moving, always getting a gruff reply that went along the lines of "When the captain says so."

"Let's go down below deck and find somewhere to sit." Isaac suggested. "We have a while to wait, it seems, and we're only getting in the way here." The others agreed, and they headed for the wooden doors that would take them to the passenger's cabins.

Inside, the cabin was quite crowded, as dozens of passengers sat at tables and chairs that were nailed to the floor, while waiting for something to happen. There were all sorts of varieties of people, from Kalayan merchants, to warriors of Xian, to Koliman lumberjacks and even some rough individuals that looked as though they were thieves from Lunpa. Everyone had their travel packs with them, apparently there were no rooms to stay in while sailing.

The four of them found an empty table and sat down to wait.

"So, how long will this trip last?" Isaac asked as they sat down.

"Should only take us a day to get to the others side, with any luck we'll be there by nightfall." Ivan answered. "Trust me; I've been this way with Master Hammett many times. Although, they do seem to be delaying a bit… if they don't set sail soon…"

"How much longer is this going to take?" a voice from behind Isaac asked out loud, making him turn to look. A large man dressed in blue clothing, who appeared to be a warrior, was confronting one of the sailors.

"It won't be much longer!" the sailor snapped impatiently at the blue warrior, in a tone that suggested he regarded the question as a waste of his time. "The captain say's, when our replacement boat from the other side gets here, then we'll be moving!"

"We've been waiting forever!" the blue warrior's companion complained, a man in orange clothing who appeared to be an even bigger fighter than his friend, "Tell the captain, if this ship doesn't get moving, we're going ashore and walking there!"

"So how much longer is 'not much longer'?" The blue one demanded.

"I don't know, it's hard to say!" The sailor answered.

"That's it, Ouranos! Let's get moving!" The blue one declared.

"Right you are, Sean! We'll get things moving ourselves!" The orange partner, Ouranos, replied.

"Where are you going?" the sailor asked in mock curiosity, "You'll never reach Colosso in time if you walk!"

"We aren't walking there!" Sean snapped indignantly, "We're persuading the Captain to move now!"

"Yeah! He sounds like he just needs a little encouragement!" Ouranos smirked.

The two fighters moved before the sailor could stop them, leaving him chasing after them, pleading not to hurt the Captain.

"Those two goons are going to start a fight, I just know it." Mia said.

"I'm going to check things out." Isaac declared. "If they lose their temper and fight the captain, I don't think we'll end up anywhere..." The fate of the world depended on their swiftness, and he couldn't risk it because of the impatience of a couple of idiots.

"I'm coming with you!" Garet told him. "You'll need some muscle to back you up if things get ugly."

Isaac and Garet headed for the door, with Ivan and Mia trailing behind them wordlessly. Isaac stepped once more out on the deck, still a little unsure of his footing on the ever moving wooden floor, and looked around. Sean and Ouranos were right ahead, looking about the deck for signs of the boat captain, who was apparently not around.

"Look, you can leave the captain alone, or we'll throw you off the ship!" the sailor warned, but neither warrior heeded him. Already most of the passengers were inside.

Isaac saw the boat captain first. An old, sea weathered man with long gray hair held back by a leather cord in more elaborate clothing than the other sailors Isaac had seen. He had to be the captain! The Captain stood with another man above the cabin roof behind them.

"Kaja, are the oarsmen ready?" he asked the man next to him, a huge hulking fellow with a shaved head and thick beard.

"Aye, captain, they be ready to face the sea without fear." Kaja answered. "But if we're attacked by those… things, then we may have a bit of trouble, I can't defend them all on me own."

"This sea has grown more dangerous in the past couple of weeks." the captain gloomed. "I'm beginning to fear that our replacement may have been sunk along the way."

"In which case, the Karagol is far too dangerous to sail!" Kaja replied gruffly. "We haven't got a hope if we're attacked, we'll have to hire any warriors or mercenaries on board to help us fight!"

"And what if a rower is injured?" the captain asked. "Or more than one? We will be unable to proceed and be sunk. We cannot proceed, it is too dangerous."

"But if we hire some of the potential Colosso fighters that are onboard, we might stand a chance!" Kaja protested.

"Well… it would be a waste to let so many passengers and so much profit be lost…" the captain mused.

"Excuse me!" Isaac interrupted, as he climbed the stairs to join them by the wheel that was supposed to steer the ship. "What were you saying about this trip being dangerous?"

"Haven't you heard?" the big man, Kaja, asked. "The Karagol Sea is infested with Sea Monsters!"

Sea Monsters? Since Mount Aleph erupted, scattered Psynergy Stones had warped many animals around Angara into dangerous monsters. Could that be what had happened here in the Karagol Sea?

Before he could reply, Sean and Ouranos bustled up into their little spot, rudely pushing Ivan and Mia out of their way, with the same sailor as before trailing after them.

"When are we going to start sailing?" Sean demanded.

"We don't want to be waiting much longer!" Ouranos informed the captain. "Some of us passengers are beginning to get restless! We need to be in Tolbi in time to join Colosso."

"Relax; we're planning to set sail now." The captain said calmly, unperturbed by their attitude.

"Oh, ok then… I guess maybe we were a little hasty…" Ouranos muttered.

"But, there is one thing however." Kaja began.

"What! Not more delays, is it?" Sean asked impatiently.

"No, but the sea is dangerous, and we'll need warriors to protect us." Kaja explained, clearly holding back his anger.

"What do you mean by dangerous?" Ivan asked, and for the first time everyone looked down to him.

"Yes, you asked me that just a moment ago, didn't you?" the captain asked.

"Actually, that was me." Isaac informed him.

"Sorry, my apologies, but yes, the sea is dangerous." was the captain's answer. "Monsters infest the water, and attack sailing vessels regularly. They're very dangerous."

"We heard you talking," Mia began. "You said you need warriors to protect the ship while it sails?"

"Yep, but I'm the only one available on deck." Kaja answered. "Are any of you willing to volunteer?"

"I'll help you protect the ship, then!" Sean offered.

"Me, too!" Ouranos added. "We're preparing to enter Colosso, so this should make good practice."

"Well, then, we're almost ready to go!" The captain said. "However, if you three are protecting the deck, who will guard the rowers inside the ship? We need more."

"We'll give you a hand there!" Garet offered without consulting Isaac.

"Sure, we desperately need to get to the other side in time, so we'll do whatever it takes!" Isaac added.

"Only two?" Kaja questioned doubtfully. "We'll probably need more than that in there… We'd better ask some of the other warriors on board if they're willing to help out also."

"Hey, us two will be helping out our friends too!" Mia told the big sailor.

"We might not look it, but we just as good warriors as our friends here!" Ivan added in a somewhat stronger tone than Isaac was used to seeing from the Jupiter Adept.

"Well… if you're willing, then… we do need all the help we can get." Kaja shrugged, "But it is dangerous work." Then he turned to the captain, whose name Isaac still hadn't caught. "Just to be on the safe side, we'll see if we can get any others to help out anyway."

"Good idea, Kaja." The captain nodded. "But what if one of the rowers should be injured? We can't risk being trapped in the middle of the sea."

"I'll see if some of the passengers will be willing to help out with rowing as well." Kaja replied.

"Good work, step on it." The captain smiled, and then Kaja left. "All right, then. With three warriors on deck, and four down below, plus whatever extra volunteers Kaja can get, we should be safe to sail."

"Finally!" Sean sighed. "I was waiting to hear that."

"I was getting worried we'd never leave." Ouranos agreed. "This is great! We can get in an extra training session against these sea monsters before Colosso! This shouldn't be too hard." The two of them walked off to the deck, talking with one another.

"I can't believe we just volunteered to fight on this ship!" Mia sighed. "I was hoping for a more peaceful ride! Oh well, I might still be able to help out by seeing if I can heal anyone who's getting sea sick."

"I think you'd better try and save your Psynergy." Isaac told her, looking around to make sure no one heard him using that word. "If these monsters really are warped by Psynergy stones like the ones we've seen so far, then we'll need all the strength we can get."

"There's a storm coming out on that sea." Ivan noted, looking out across the waves of water. "I can feel it in the wind." There were thick black clouds above the water, and thunder peeled ominously in the distance.

"It's true." Mia agreed. "There is a lot of water in the air… here the water and wind Psynergy must be mixing together to make these monsters and that storm. But I feel that it shouldn't be too bad."

"Yeah, well, let's get down stairs and check out this area Kaja wants us to defend." Garet said, moving for the door.

"Garet, the correct term is 'below decks'" Ivan corrected.

"Ah, whatever, same thing."

They entered the room where they had been sitting before, and quickly found Kaja who was with two other would be Colosso warriors. The man quickly showed them to the rowers room, where rows of oars sat parallel to long wooden seats. At these seats sat rows of powerfully built, sailors with huge upper body muscles, two to an oar, awaiting the moment to set sail.

Despite the fact they knew that they were heading into sea monster territory, they didn't seem the least bit concerned. They were probably used to this by now.

"So, you kids, this is where you will defend the rowers. Just stay here and attack any monsters that get in." He motioned to another warrior that had joined them. This man looked a bit like Felix, Isaac thought, with the green cloak and long brown hair. "This is Lance. He volunteered to help out with defending this place also, so try to work together with him. I'll be on deck if you need anything. By the way, try not to die, will ya? Bad for morale, y'know, and the lads are already feeling a bit down about the trip." With that he turned to leave, but Mia stopped him.

"Excuse me, but do you think that storm forming out there will be dangerous?" she asked.

"Not at all!" Kaja grinned wolfishly. "We've come across far worse storms than that little one and come out in one piece. We'll be fine, so just relax, okay?"

As Kaja left the crew and Isaac's group, as well as their new 'partner', Lance, they heard a lot of shouted voiced up ahead, sounding like they were getting ready to set sail. Soon, Kaja was heard bellowing orders. A few more moments, then they heard Kaja shout from upon deck, "All right, sea dogs, start rowing those oars!"

All of the oarsman started rowing their oars in perfect synchronization, which only years of practice could grant. Men with huge muscles and deeply tanned skin moved the heavy oars in a steady rhythm. With a slow lurch, the ship began moving off from the shore into the Karagol Sea. The ship continued to rock slowly, yet unpredictably. Isaac and Garet still had trouble keeping their feet, while Ivan and Mia quickly gained their 'sea legs', as the sailors called it.

"Hey, you guys." Lance spoke up gruffly. "We'll come up against some pretty tough stuff out there. Our best bet is to co-ordinate our efforts. Just do as I say, and you just might survive. Honestly, inexperienced kids such as yourselves shouldn't even be fighting."

"Hey, we aren't 'inexperienced' and we aren't 'kids'!" Garet retorted. "And I'll have you know that I take orders from our group leader, Isaac." Isaac didn't like being called 'leader', but then, he didn't really like the idea of this guy taking control.

"You know, arrogance like that could get you into trouble one day." Ivan warned in an unusually strong voice.

"Oh, come on, you honestly think you have the skills and experience necessary to handle a situation like this?" the warrior sneered. "Look at you! You fight with a wood cutting tool! And that kid barely looks old enough to handle a sword and this guy-"

"My name is Isaac." The Earth Adept cut in strongly. "And we do know how to handle ourselves in combat."

"How would you know if we're experienced or not." Mia spat, incensed by his words. "I can personally testify to how well our group fights."

"My lady, you needn't e here with us." Lance spoke in a suddenly smooth voice. "You clearly have no means of defense, if you stay by my side, then I can ensure my protection…" He took her hands in his, as though to offer her a vow.

She snatched it back, coldly shrugging off his advances with, "As a matter of fact, I 'can' defend myself, and if I need protection, my friends can be counted on."

Lance regarded the four of them spitefully. "Fine then, have it your way. I don't need your help anyway; I can defend this room myself!" With that, he stalked off to the other side of the room, near the entrance.

Isaac and the others seated themselves in wait. If these sea monsters were going to attack, it seemed they probably had a wait ahead of themselves.

"That one needs to learn a thing or two about teamwork." one of the oarsmen remarked with a chuckle, "If you can't rely on your teammates to help out in a critical situation, you're as good as dead, and'll wind up on Crossbone Island haunted by Deadbeard."

"Who's 'Deadbeard' and what's 'Crossbone Island'?" Isaac asked curiously.

"An old legend amongst those in the region around the Karagol." Ivan explained.

"Aye, lad. They say way back in the Lsot Age was a terrible pirate, feared by all, who went by the name 'Deadbeard'. Used mystic powers to steal many incredible treasures, the likes of which you can't imagine. Buried it all on Crossbone Island, and cursed it all they say, so any who tried to steal it was killed. They say the ghost of Deadbeard still guards his horde upon his shipwreck. Any who finds this mystic island and slays the ghost may keep the horde."

"That's just a tale told to kids, mate." another oarsman scoffed.

"Aye, true enough, but just imagine if someone did find Crossbone Island, and it's buried treasure?"

"They wouldn't." his mate replied seriously. "It's just a legend. Just like Lemuria." Now there was a legend that Isaac was familiar with in stories told to him by his father. The fabled city from the Lost Age that still existed, hidden from the world deep out at sea. Now _there_ was a myth!

"I dunno about that, mate." another oarsman mused. "Rumor has it, old man Babi has sent out ships before in the past the search for Lemuria. Can't be that much of a myth if he's searching for it."

"You can't believe all you hear in rumor, mate." His friend shook his head doubtfully.

For a few minutes, the journey was pretty straightforward. They sat amongst the oarsman in idle chatter, waiting for the ship to arrive at Tolbi Docks. At one point, Ivan made a comment about how they should use sails to utilize the power of the wind, but was told that the winds in the Karagol were too unpredictable to be relied upon.

Then something happened. Upstairs, they heard a commotion up on deck, the sound of the crew shouting, of monsters growling threats in incomprehensible tongues. The 'Sea Monsters' had attacked.

"Stay where you are, lads." The head oarsmen called out. "If they come down here, these here warriors will take care of 'em."

Suddenly, it occurred to Isaac that they had no plan, yet.

"Hey, everyone, we need to think about what we're gonna do." He told his friends. "Remember, we can't use any Psynergy." He whispered the last word, so that none of the oarsmen heard him. "So… Garet, me and you should go in first and take out whatever we can. Ivan, it's probably best you stay behind and fight whatever gets past us. Mia… uh, can you fight with that staff?"

"Um… no, I don't think so." she replied uncertainly.

"Well then, maybe… you should hold back and see if you can heal anyone who gets injured." She seemed almost eager for this role.

"I'd be happy to." she smiled. "That's something I know I can do, even without… you know." She left it unsaid, but they all knew what she meant.

"Sounds like a plan." Garet grinned.

"Whatever you say, Isaac." Ivan nodded. They couldn't say anything more, as creatures burst into the room. A blue, scaly amphibious lizard like humanoid thing burst in followed by several others.

Lance was up like a shot, swinging his sword while dodging swipes from the lizard man thing's sharp claws. Whatever his attitude, Isaac had to admit he was good with a sword. Maybe Lance really would do well in Colosso.

Isaac and Garet quickly joined in, axe and sword held ready.

"Take the ones on the left; I'll go for the right!" Isaac called. Garet threw himself at one of the blue monsters, severing its head with a powerful swing of his battle axe, spinning around straight away to face another.

Isaac jumped at another, expertly stabbing it in the heart with his sword before it could react. He tore it out and spun around, severing the head of another of to his side. As Lance and Garet finished off the last of their foes, Isaac turned to face his.

They circled one another, sizing each other up. The lizard moved like a striking python to slash Isaac's face, but Isaac, his senses much faster to react after many battles like this, quickly swung his blade to remove the monster's hand at the wrist. Not wasting a moment, he swung again and scored a killing blow to the creature's blue, scaly chest felling it like a dead tree.

All those amphibious lizard things were dead. Even Ivan, it seemed, had somehow gotten one when Isaac wasn't looking.

"Perhaps you're not as bad a swordsmen as you look." Lance remarked beside him. Isaac wasn't sure whether to be thankful or insulted, so instead settled for a neutral grunt in reply. But it seemed it wasn't over yet.

"Damnit, some of those cursed War Squids are crawling along the roof!" someone, probably an oarsmen, shouted. Even Isaac knew that squids belonged in the water, not climbing around boats. He looked up to see yellowy, oversized squids crawling along the roof like spiders. About two dozen of them.

"Don't let 'em sting ya!" someone shouted. "Their poison is quick and deadly!" Several of the deadly looking things dropped to the floor with a wet slopping sound. Isaac had to step aside to barely avoid having one land on him. He immediately sliced it open with his blade, cutting it like a piece of fat.

A few of them actually landed on some people, including Lance. He tried frantically to rip it off, but it stuck to his skin like glue. Suddenly, shocked agony swept across his face, then his skin turned a pallid white, and he fell to the floor with short, sickly breaths. The thing let go, and crawled away seeking new prey until Isaac stabbed his sword through it, blade through to the wood, killing it.

"What are these 'things'!" Mia shrieked, provoking Garet to tell her to get back as he slammed his battleaxe into another squid crawling along the wall.

Isaac noticed that a couple of the oarsmen had also been struck down by the venomous, yellowy squids crawling along the floors and walls like slugs.

_If only we could use Psynergy, then we could annihilate them all easily!_

"Mia, get the injured out of the way and see if you can help them." Isaac called out, giving an order only because the situation called for things to be done quickly.

The blue haired healer scurried along to drag away limp, unconscious bodies to the back to the back of the room while Ivan protected her with his short sword, Shaman's Rod temporarily useless and tucked into the back of his robe's belt. Meanwhile, Isaac and Garet focused on hacking up the monstrous squids with their respective weapons. The squids were slow and very weak, easy to kill, so within a minute Isaac and Garet had finished them all off.

The oarsmen continued rowing with single minded determination, their pace picked up slightly out of panic, but they showed no fear or thoughts of stopping.

"Can you continue rowing all right, there?" Isaac asked the oarsmen.

"We'll be right 'ere, mate, you needn't worry." one of them answered in a rough voice. "We'll continue rowin', no matter what. But we will need a few replacements for the ones that went down, if we want to go at full speed." Isaac looked around to see that there were, in fact, four oarsmen as well as Lance knocked out by the killer squids.

"Those damn squids!" Garet growled.

"I'll go and see if I can find any passengers to help row!" Ivan said, and then darted up the stairs like a shot.

"I'll go with him to make sure he's safe." Garet added, before chasing after Ivan, battleaxe in tow.

"Will they be alright?" Isaac asked, grateful for the brief lapse in danger.

"It's nothing serious." Mia assured him, as she took the symptoms of the victims. "It doesn't appear to be a very lethal poison. A small dose of anti-venom potion should fix them up. They'll be fine after a while."

"That's good." Isaac nodded. The last thing he wanted was the lives or livelihood of others on his conscience because he wasn't good enough. Of course, it they'd been able to use Psynergy, it might have been different. But then, it might have left them with some awkward questions to answer.

Mia administered some medicine to each of the victims from her pack, which seemed to help ease the taut muscles in their immobile bodies. After a few more minutes, they heard some heavy footsteps running down the stairs, and then Garet's large frame appeared in the doorway, fresh blood on his axe blade.

"Are their any more of them sea monsters down here?" he asked in a hurry.

Isaac shook his head. "Not yet." The Mars Adept let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, there were a few along the way, and a whole lot on deck fighting the crew. I really wish we could go up there and help 'em out…" Ivan pushed past him followed by a few of the passengers who had volunteered to help. Fit, young men, one of which looked big enough to have been a full time oarsmen. The head rower made his way up to them, and immediately began shouting orders.

"All right, you, here." He locked eyes with one man and pointed to a vacant seat. "The rest of you, there, there and there." He pointed to empty rowing seats. "And start rowing for your lives – which you are, by the way – to get to Tolbi Docks before the sun sets, or I'll have your flamin' hides!" The men quickly moved to their seats to begin rowing to keep the ship moving for all that they were worth.

"I'll leave you to look after the fighting aspect." he then said, turning to Isaac. "You've shown that you're more than capable of leading a group into battle."

"Yes, I guess I am." Isaac replied modestly, unsure of how to respond.

"These people will be fine." Mia stated matter-of-factly. "There's nothing more for me to do here. What are they doing with the wounded up on deck?"

"They're taking them to an unused cabin…" Ivan began.

"Where? Take me there!" she interrupted. "I can help out more over there."

"She's right, Ivan. Show her, please." Isaac sighed. The Wind Adept quickly disappeared with the Water Adept up the stairs, leading to wherever.

The ship continued sailing at a steady pace, while up on deck they heard another clash take place. Kaja was heard bellowing orders and cursing loudly, while sailors shouted and monsters growled.

"I wish we could help them." Garet moaned. "I feel useless sitting here doing nothing."

"Well, someone has to make sure the ships keeps moving, otherwise we're all gone."

A few minutes later, Ivan returned with a panicked look on his face.

"There are a whole bunch of monsters, right behind me. Get ready." In a second, Garet was up with his battle axe ready, next to Ivan, who stood with his short sword. Isaac quickly arrived with his own sword held ready in battle position. A few moments later, the monsters arrived.

Three of the blue, scaly, fish lizards leaped in, claws out ready to slash anything, followed by only a handful of the yellowy, venomous squids and a dozen monsters that looked like overgrown crabs, uniquely shaped for battle.

Garet immediately stepped forward and with a powerful swing with the long reach of his arm, slammed the sharp blade of his axe into the crocodile-like snout of one of the lizard men.

Another made a swipe for Ivan's face, but being small and agile, he was able to duck and swipe his blade across the creature's belly. Isaac leapt at another and viciously attacked with his sword, killing it quickly. The three Adepts then had to quickly step back, to avoid having their legs severed by the crab like monsters.

Isaac swung his sword expertly, killing two and keeping the rest at bay. Garet did the same with his axe, even managing to kill a couple of squids. Ivan wasn't doing so well, but managed to keep from getting injured.

It was then that they received a welcome surprise. Sean and Ouranos, the two would-be Colosso warriors, appeared in the doorway armed with a sword each, and tore into the monsters from behind. The other three wasted no time in joining in and in no time at all, they had slain all the squids and crabs.

"We saw them come down, and thought you could use a hand." Sean explained when asked what they were doing there.

"Thanks for that." Garet smiled. "We thought we might have a problem with them for a moment there."

"Hey, no problem." Ouranos replied, smiling. Then the ship gave a sudden, violent shake and shouts were heard up on deck.

"Looks like we're needed, again." Sean sighed.

"Sounds like something big." Ouranos noted dryly. The two of them quickly left, racing up the stairs, leaving the Adepts alone once more. They waited for several minutes with nothing happening except the continuous rowing of the oarsmen, the sound of fighting up on deck and the ship's violent rocking, which worried Isaac.

Why wasn't anything attacking? What was making the ship rock so bad? Isaac voiced his concerns to the other two.

"Yeah, you're right, I don't know anything about ships, but even I know it shouldn't rock like this." Garet said.

"Maybe we should check out what's happening." Ivan suggested.

"Let's go." Isaac declared, getting up to move to the deck, followed by the other two. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, they ran into Mia.

"I was just going to get you!" she practically shrieked. "We're under attack by something really big! We're going to need Psynergy to kill it! Quick, follow me!" then she led them out onto the deck, where they found the unconscious forms of Sean and Ouranos, severely beaten and bruised. The party didn't have to wait long to find out what had done this to them.

Suddenly, Kaja was thrown over them and slammed into the mast with such force that he was knocked unconscious. Isaac turned to see a massive purple octopus-like creature with glowing yellow eyes, and resonating with powerful Psynergy. This was the worst Psynergy mutated sea monster yet.

"It's a Kraken!" Ivan shouted in horror. Isaac held his sword ready.

"Let's bag us some sea food!" Garet grinned, raising his axe. The four of them charged for the Kraken.

The Kraken immediately attacked, unleashing a thick blast of water from its vicious, hungry looking mouth. Mia raised her staff and, focusing her Psynergy, deflected the water, preventing it from knocking anyone back.

Garet responded with a powerful fireball, slamming into the creature's purple, jelly-like hide. The Kraken shrugged off the attack with no visible damage done.

"Garet! The Kraken's Water Psynergy is too strong!" Ivan shouted. "Use your axe!" He was unable to say more as the Kraken's long, purple tentacles shot out and struck the small Wind Adept like a whip, throwing him back violently.

"Ivan, try and attack from long range!" Isaac shouted over his shoulder, hoping that he would be able to get up and do so. As soon as he was finished, Isaac felt a thick tentacle wrap around his body and lift him up. Only the armor he wore prevented it from crushing his ribs, although, he wasn't sure how long that would last.

Garet launched another volley of fireballs at the Kraken as he rushed at its face, trying to swing his axe at it. The Kraken extinguished the flames with another spray of water and lashed out with another tentacle and threw him back. All this time it hadn't attacked Mia, however.

A shower of ice shards assaulted the Kraken, digging into its body, blood oozing out thickly. The Kraken tried to blast another jet of water out at her, but she simply froze it with her Psynergy, leaving it with a mouthful of ice. Another of its tentacles shot out to grab hold of her. Mia tried to fend it off with another ice missile, but the Kraken paid no heed to the blood and pain this caused, and continued to wrap itself around her, lifting and constricting.

Frantically trying to free himself, and unable to use his sword due to the way it was pinned to his side, Isaac unleashed a barrage of Psynergy attacks. Several powerful stone spires were formed out of thin air and slammed into the Kraken heavily, and painfully one striking the tentacle forcing it to let go of Isaac and letting him fall to the deck.

Isaac immediately slashed at the tentacle as it tried to wrap itself around him again, severing the end of it. As the Kraken shrieked in agony, Isaac spun around and unleashed a Ragnarok right at it's face, severely damaging it but also momentarily blinding it with the intense amount of light released. In its shock, it let Mia go, dropping her with a screech of rage. Isaac turned to see that Garet and Ivan were now getting up. He turned to help Mia up, making sure the Kraken didn't retaliate. It was still temporarily blind. It didn't get a chance to strike back.

Ivan unleashed a barrage of lightning bolt strikes, powerful plasma scorching the beast. It wriggled back writhing in agony, stopping just short of falling off. Ivan finally ceased his assault to regain his strength. The Kraken was now severely burned and bleeding, but it didn't seem to be dying yet.

Garet charged at it and cut off one of its tentacles with his axe. Isaac did the same to another with his sword. If they could just remove all its tentacles, they would have it under control. But the Kraken wouldn't have it.

Unleashing a dark, inky cloud from its mouth, Garet and Isaac found themselves unable to see. Mia grabbed them both and pulled them back just in time for them to avoid being crushed by the flailing of the Kraken's limbs.

A whirlwind formed by Ivan picked up around the Kraken and blew away the toxic gas.

Without wasting a moment, Isaac lunged forward, stabbing with his sword. He caught the Kraken entirely off guard. His blade pierced right between its eyes, and sent the Kraken moaning and slithering back. Defeated, it slipped off the side of the boat and back into the ocean with a loud splash.

"We got it." Isaac managed between deep breaths of exhaustion. He turned to face the others, now standing wearily on the deck away from the edge.

Suddenly Isaac, for a brief second, felt something around his ankle, and then he was being tripped up, the deck rushing up to meet his face. The next thing he knew, he was being dragged along the deck and the ocean was rushing up to swallow him.

"What the-?" was all Isaac managed to get out before he was underwater, the shock of the feeling like cold ice, his breath caught in his lungs. That damn Kraken had dragged him down with it!

Surprisingly, he still held onto his sword tightly through all this. Desperately, he forced it down and began blindly hacking at whatever that was gripping his ankle. There was a bubbling, muffled roar of agony from the Kraken, then the tentacle let go and Isaac swum with all his strength for the surface.

_My damn armor is weighing me down…_ he cursed inwardly. He continued struggling for the surface… for air. His chest was burning with pain… if he didn't breath soon, he was going to burst!

Weariness and lack of oxygen defeated his attempts at reaching the surface. He felt his muscles fail as he ceased rising and began slowly sinking once more, only barely continuing to hold his breath as he realized that he was going to drown.

He sensed a new presence then, a warm hand gripped his wrist tightly. He gripped back and felt himself being pulled up. Just as he was sure he was going to gasp for air and swallow the Karagol's salt water, his head broke the surface and he breathed desperately for air, his thick hair hanging over his eyes and dripping water down his face. A warm body hugged itself against him and he heard Mia's voice in his ear, "You'll be alright. We've got you."

Due to exhaustion and lack of oxygen, Isaac became light-headed and everything went black.

**X**

He was aware of nothing. Blackness. Emptiness. Nothingness. Then warmth. On his lips, in his mouth. Air in his lungs. Then cold again. Warm on his lips, air into his lungs. He became dimly aware of noise, his friends voices. He could feel their presence. Warm lips touched his own, air breathed into him. As they pulled away again, he opened his eyes, and began coughing up water, breathing on his own again.

"Is he alright?" he heard Ivan ask.

"He'll be fine." he heard Mia reply in a reassuring tone. "He just needs a few moments rest."

"Well, at least he showed that Kraken what for!" Garet said, no doubt with a proud grin on his face, although Isaac couldn't see.

Isaac sat up wearily, feeling so tired. Mia was kneeling right beside him. "What…?" Then he realized what must have happened, what she had just done to save his life, and felt himself blushing. "Oh, uh…. Thanks Mia…"

"Don't mention it!" she sat back, relaxing. "You're lucky I'm a good swimmer. I dived in to save you from drowning."

"Hey, I told you he'd be fine!" Garet grinned in relief.

"Actually, Garet, Mia said that." Ivan corrected with a wry smile.

"Well, I still agreed with her."

"How do you feel?" Ma asked softly, her blue eyes looking into Isaac's own.

"I'll be fine." Isaac replied, and then managed a weak smile to reassure her.

Isaac looked around groggily. The sailors were running around the deck like madmen, desperately repairing damaged ropes and doing things Isaac could only guess at. The Captain was watching everyone with a critical eye, while trying to steer the ship with the wheel before him. Kaja was bellowing at everyone to get a move on.

"Move, you useless bloody land lubbers! Do you want to die out here and meet Deadbeard! Get a damn move on!" he moved to a door and yelled at the oarsmen, "Put your bloody backs into it! We'll never get there at this rate!"

"Nice to see he's in a good mood…" Ivan remarked wryly.

"So, that Kraken is gone?" Isaac asked.

"You betcha!' Garet replied. "Dead and buried! Gone for good! You did great, Isaac!" Isaac leaned up against a mast. He felt a need to rest before moving again, and the constant rocking of the ship didn't help.

"Hey, why aren't there any more sea monsters?" a sailor asked, looking about worriedly.

"That Kraken scared 'em all off." Kaja replied. "Hopefully, they should leave us alone for a while."

"Lady Mia!" one of the sailors shouted, running up to her. "I was told you are an experienced healer, my lady!" Where was he getting this "my lady" stuff from, Isaac had to wonder. "Kaja, Sean and Ouranos are in deep concussion and need assistance!" Mia stood up.

"Okay, take me to them!" She left with the sailor. Isaac and the others stood up none too easily. There were many sailors up on deck once more.

"Hey, did anyone see us using Psynergy?" Isaac asked just quietly enough not to be heard by anyone but Garet or Ivan.

"No, they were all either unconscious, or below deck, away from the Kraken." Ivan answered.

"That's good." There was a moment's pause as the three looked out over the Karagol, searching for some sign of land. For some reason, it seemed strangely and unnaturally misty. He couldn't see the horizon through the fog.

"Is this… is this Deadbeard's doing?" a sailor asked.

"It's no ones doing!" Kaja shouted back. "That's all just superstitious nonsense! Get back to work!"

"Hey, do we have to go back to the rowing room to guard the people now?" Garet asked after a while, snapping Isaac's attention away from the fog.

"No, I don't think you'll need to." a voice said behind them. The three turned to face the ship Captain, who now stood before them. "They put up a good pace, and we're entering shallower waters now. The Sea Monsters should be greatly lessened. Hopefully, we can make Tolbi Docks within a couple of hours, despite what Kaja is yelling at them. After that Kraken, both its appearance and its defeat, most monsters will be too scared to attack the ship, I think. With any luck, we might just reach the Docks unchallenged from hereon out. Still, be on your guard."

"What's with this weird fog?" Ivan asked. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, the Karagol has unpredictable weather patterns." The Captain answered. "It's probably just that." He didn't sound too sure of himself, though, Isaac thought. "But some of the sailors hear legends of Deadbeard and think… well, that's all just a bunch of superstitious nonsense. Nothing more." He left them to return to the wheel.

The three waited anxiously, uncertain of their safety. But, fortunately, their luck held, and they sailed the next two hours safely, undisturbed. Mia rejoined them, after a while. But still, the mysterious fog thickened.

From atop the mast, in the crow's nest, a lookout cried, "Land sighted! …But it's in the wrong direction! To our left flank!"

Isaac looked in that direction and saw, dimly in the mist, the shadow of a large island dimly. _It couldn't be… there are probably lots of islands in the Karagol, it wouldn't _really_ be Crossbone._

A few of the sailors stopped what they were doing and hesitated, showing signs of visible fear. Kaja snapped at them and they resumed their duties. "It's just a bloody island! Nothing special, it isn't Crossbone and Deadbeard aint there!"

"Still… I don't recall ever seeing any islands on our usual route." The captain mused, rubbing his chin. "Well, we were thrown a bit off, but still… and this mist… ah, well, the Karagol is unpredictable, and you just never can tell these days."

They passed it by and it began slowly moving away from them. With this fog, it would be out of sight soon. "This fog doesn't feel natural…" Mia mused. "It feels… not quite right."

"You're just getting paranoid." Garet assured her. His voice didn't have its usual confidence, though.

The shadow of the island vanished into the mist. A few sighs of relief were heard. "Like I said, not Crossbone." The captain said, smiling in relief. "Deadbeard won't come to kill us for trespassing his cursed land…"

But then, another shadow appeared behind them. And started gaining on them. It was the shape of another ship. Without a doubt, another ship. Large, long, and broad sails. But Isaac noticed that the shadows of the sails were torn and tattered.

"What is that?" Ivan asked. "I don't know about you, but I have a bad feeling about this…"

"Hmm… that's odd." The Captain mused. "Another ship. There shouldn't be any other ships out now except our replacement and that doesn't look like it." He squinted his eyes. "Sails? No one uses sails in the Karagol these days; they haven't done that in _years!_ Centuries even, they became impractical a long time ago." The ship came close enough to make out some details. "That's an old design, very old… almost as old as…" He gasped. "No, it couldn't be…"

"Get back to work, you useless sea dogs!" Kaja yelled at the sailors. "Or I'll feed y'all to Deadbeard myself! Well, move!"

"But if that isn't an official ship, then who could it be?" Garet asked. "I don't believe much in this Deadbeard myth, so maybe… they could be pirates?"

"Mayhap…" the Captain said in tones of concern. "But there haven't been pirates in the Karagol in years, not since the time of… well, these days, what with news from Lunpa and such… well; you can't be too careful these days. Kaja, tell the men to be prepared." Kaja began bellowing orders at everyone, yelling even harder at any who didn't move fast enough. "Isaac, are you and your mates ready?"

The four of them readied themselves with their weapons. The battle with the Kraken may have weakened them somewhat, but some low-level pirates should be easy enough. "Of course." Isaac answered, tensing his grip on his sword.

The ship was now sailing right alongside them; the two vessels seemed to float in a never ending fog of mist. Isaac noticed now a shadow of a lone figure standing on the opposite ship's deck. _Only one?_ The ship, he now realized seemed barely seaworthy, the wood appeared to be rotting, there were holes in it everywhere. He was amazed that it was still floating.

"I have a _really_ bad feeling about that thing…" Ivan muttered. Isaac carefully looked over the shadow of the individual standing there. _It couldn't be… no person could really be that tall standing up!_ A single curved cutlass was held in its hand.

"Just one?" Kaja muttered. "If they really are pirates, they're bloody stupid, and I'll beat some sense into 'em myself." It was deathly silent; nobody moved or said anything, waiting for what the figure on the ship would say.

And then, all of a sudden, Isaac heard a voice in his head, like when the Wise One spoke to him. _Ahoy, thar, boy! Yes, you, the one with the blue armor. Shiver me timbers, but you really are tha' one! Yep, that be the Mars Star you have, rest my soul, lad. Woulda taken it myself, once upon a time. Well, I know better now, and I know all about those elements and your quest… well, I'll leave you be, and I'll keep them Sea Monsters off your tail for ya. _

And then the shadows seemed to just fade away into the mist. "What on Weyard…?" Isaac gasped. "What was… did any of you hear that, too?"

"Hear what?" Mia asked.

"Uh… nothing. Never mind." Maybe it was just his imagination. _That couldn't have been Deadbeard, it couldn't have been! There's no such thing as ghosts!_

There were murmurs of puzzled surprise from the crew, and Kaja snapped at them to get back to work. "If I didn't know better, I would sworn that really was… well, never mind." He muttered to himself.

"That couldn't have been Crossbone Isle we just passed." The captain muttered, as though trying to reassure himself. "That Kraken might have thrown us a bit of course, but not by that much! No sailor has ever found that… well; it doesn't even exist, anyway!" The mist surrounding them pulled away suddenly with unnatural speed, vanishing into nothing.

"I've never seen mist disappear like that before!" Kaja exclaimed.

"The Karagol is unpredictable." The captain muttered. "Especially these days."

There was calm blue sea all around them, the sky empty of clouds except for a few miles to the west where dark storm clouds brewed. If those attacks hadn't thrown them of course, they would have ended up sailing through all that.

The voyage was completely calm after that, and they relaxed on deck soaking up the sun for a couple more hours, nervously keeping an eye out for more attacks that never came.

Finally, land appeared with the various buildings of Tolbi Docks standing before them. They were much like the Kalayan Docks, but appeared more regimented than those of Kalay. The ship slowed to a stop, and docked at one of the jutting piers.

As the boarding ramp was lowered, people streamed off, grateful to have survived the trip, though many stated that they intended to walk the Silk Road around the Karagol on the way back after Colosso.

"Well, we were quite lucky; we even managed to avoid that storm." Mia said as she looked out over the water to where black storm clouds raged in the distance.

"But not for long." Ivan noted as he looked out also. "It's coming this way."

"Don't worry, we'll be snuggled up in some inn in Tolbi by the time it hits." Garet figured in his usual self assured manner. "Let's go."

Just before they left the ship, the ship captain stopped them to speak with Isaac. "Thank you for all that you have done. You saved my ship and my crew. We are in your debt."

"No problem!" he shrugged. "I wouldn't have done any less."

"None the less, we still owe you greatly; slaying a Kraken is no mean feat. If ever you need a ride across the Karagol again, we will gladly take you for free."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Isaac replied. They said their goodbyes, and left. The four Adepts left the ship and descended the ramp on the way to the great city-state of Tolbi.

Soon, Colosso would begin.

**A/N: **Another chapter down. Ahh, that was fun to write, hope ye all enjoyed it. I know what you're probably thinking, that there wasn't as much on Deadbeard as one would have hoped, but… well, I couldn't be bothered writing the whole Crossbone bit, so I put in this little skirmish on the seas. What can I say, that was just the way I felt like writing it. Oh well. I like this way, actually. Having them on the island would have taken too much time (in the story) anyway, for what I had planned.

By the way,for those of you beginning to wonder what's happening with Jenna's side of things (she still needs to come to an understanding with felix before the end to set the scene for TLA) you'll soon see things begin to happen on that front. I have it all planned out, just have a little faith.

Anyway, I'm sure I know what you're all looking forward to, now. Colosso, right? Yes, I know a great many of you have said you can't wait, and now the tournament is nigh! Well, it won't be getting any closer with me sitting here yammering, so I'll get to writing it out, while you go off and let me hear what your thoughts are via the good ol' review system. Your thoughts are always appreciated!

Until next chapter, adios amigos.


	21. Interesting Discoveries

**A/N:** Ah, here we are again with another update, this time not so long a wait. I've nothing much to say here, so let's be on with the show!

**Disclaimer:** Look, I don't own it, okay? Stop asking! If I owned it, I would – like many others here if they owned the GS rights – make a GS3 have a GS anime produced and make all my GS fics published. All mine, of course. No one else's. I would also purchase a trained monkey assassin. Hey, you never know when a good, military trained, monkey assassin will come in handy, now, do you? Ah well, on with the show.

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**INTERESTING DISCOVERIES**

Armored guards in the uniform of Tolbi watched over the people as they left the ship and entered the docks. Normally, security and customs were strictly upheld, but during Colosso, the people were too many to police, so they just watched over the newcomers, keeping an eye out for any obvious signs of trouble. Isaac's party made their way past the buildings and along the road to the city itself.

When they reached Tolbi, Isaac was astounded. The city was huge! Not even Kalay, Bilibin or Xian could compare. Garet and Mia were also shocked at the size. Only Ivan seemed unimpressed.

"I've been here more times than I can count with Master Hammet," he explained simply. "It's nothing special for me." Tolbi was a sprawling city of many buildings, surrounded by large, thick stone walls. Two massive buildings stood out from the rest. One was a large elaborate, yet imperious looking palace that Isaac assumed could only belong to this Lord Babi. The other was a round, gray stone thing of many pillars and a massive inner pit.

_That must be the colosseum,_ he figured.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Garet asked. "Let's go on in!"

"You know, it's funny," Ivan started. "All the times I've been to Tolbi, this is the first time I've actually been during Colosso."

"Really? Why's that?" Isaac asked.

"Master Hammet was against the whole Colosso tournament," Ivan explained. "He objected morally to the idea of men killing each other for money and entertainment."

"I agree," Mia said. "It's such an abhorrent idea."

Ivan continued. "I suspect that Master Hammet probably wouldn't have traded at all with Tolbi if it weren't for the fact that it was the only city capable of supporting Kalay's economy through trade."

"But all that aside," Garet started, "if it weren't for the whole killing part, wouldn't Colosso be a great even to see? I reckon if would even be a great event to join in if we could."

"Maybe when this whole quest thing is over, and we have time, you could do that," Isaac replied, to get Garet off the topic. "For now, let's focus on the matters at hand, and try and find an Inn for the night."

They passed through a large gate in the wall, watched over by Tolbi soldiers as they followed the crowd into the city.

"I hope we can," Ivan told Isaac. "I hear that during Colosso, things always get pretty packed and spare rooms pretty sparse."

The paved streets were packed full of people and tourists between the large buildings. Everywhere, it seemed, there were people with patrols of armed Tolbi soldiers watching over them. There were dozens of homes, shops, taverns and various gambling venues. And, of course, the standard Inns. They entered the first one that they could find.

When Isaac asked if they could have a room, he was told the Inn was all booked out and that he should try somewhere else. They tried two other places, and received the same answered. Full up. The third innkeeper told them that there was probably no chance of finding a room in any Inn anywhere in the city.

"I've had most of my rooms on reserve for almost two months and the rest were gone over two weeks ago! And the tournament doesn't even start until tomorrow! There's no hope of spare accommodation in Tolbi during Colosso. Sorry, kid."

They stood outside this last Inn to discuss the situation.

"Maybe we should split up and ask around," Mia suggested. Up above, the storm clouds they had seen earlier rumbled menacingly. The sun hung just above the horizon in late afternoon. They didn't have much time left. A low peal of thunder rumbled low and distant.

"We shouldn't even bother," Ivan sighed. "That Innkeeper is probably right; we'll never find a place anywhere here."

"Oh, great! What an interesting discovery!" Garet groaned sarcastically. "No Inns in Tolbi are open! Wonderful! What are we going to do now!"  
"Maybe we should camp out," Isaac suggested. "It's really our only option. Besides, we'll save money, we can't afford to keep staying at Inns all the time, and we have to save for provisions. Our coins are getting a little low."

"I knew I should have asked Lady Layana if we could borrow some money while we were in Kalay," Ivan muttered under his breath.

"Camping again?" Garet groaned. "Geez, I hate that…"

"Well, we'd better hurry, then!" Mia said. "By the time we manage to get out of this crowded city, it will be dark!"

"All right, then, let's go!" Isaac called out, as he led them out of Tolbi.

**XXX**

Iodem continued pacing across the room in Babi's Palace. Through the window, he could see that the sun had set; an orange glow across the horizon all that remained, soon to be lost to night. The sound of ominous rumbling signaled that soon the storm clouds would unleash upon Tolbi. A sumptuous dinner lay on the table, ready for him to eat. Iodem ignored it, however, as he was not currently hungry. Meticulously, his mind spun over how to solve his most pressing problem.

Lord Babi was missing.

As his second-in-command, Iodem was calling the shots until Babi was found. If he was not, Iodem would replace him as Lord of Tolbi. A more devious man might use the opportunity to seize power. But not Iodem. He believed in loyalty and honor. If he couldn't be loyal to his master now, how could he be to the people when he did assume power?

A well dressed man, clean shaven with short black hair with only a slight hint of graying, Iodem continued pacing across the floor, from time to time, stealing a look out the window to the ever darkening night. A knock sounded at the door, and Iodem called for the person to enter. General Kratos of the Tolbi Army entered.

"What have you to report?" Iodem asked, choosing his words carefully as a leader of Tolbi should speak.

"My scouts have returned from the Altmiller Caves, sir. They found no signs of Lord Babi," the General responded steadily in a thick, deep voice that was capable of yelling quite loud at the soldiers when necessary.

Iodem paused, deep in thought. He _knew _that Lord Babi was at least near there.

"He must be found soon," Iodem spoke softly. "Colosso starts tomorrow, and I may very well have to open it and attend in his stead. This will start rumors amongst the people; we cannot let them know."

"I understand, sir. We did our utmost best," Kratos assured Iodem, and he did not doubt it. General Kratos was very efficient.

"Hmm… search the Altmilliar again," Iodem decided. "Send your two best scouts to search every nook and cranny of those caves, leave no stone unturned."

"Sir?" Kratos questioned uncertainly.

"Have an entire squad of your best men roam the surrounding area," Iodem continued. "Be as thorough as possible. Leave not a single patch unsearched."

"We already have, sir," Kratos insisted. "Altmillar and the surrounding area had been searched. If Lord Babi was there, we would have found him."

"Search again," Iodem demanded. "I know that he's there."

"Sir, with all due respect… why?" Kratos's expression remained stoic, but his tone of voice indicated he was puzzled.

"Lord Babi has been missing since last night," Iodem explained. "His bed was still made this morning. He has been sneaking out of the palace to the Altmillar Caves for some time now, possibly even longer than I'm aware of. Why, I don't know. But I'm the only one who knows this, as I've seen it from time to time. I've followed him several times, and always he goes to the caves. Every time, however, I lose sight of him as he enters the shadows of the cave."

"Losing him in the dark?" Kratos cocked an eyebrow. Iodem nodded. His sensible, down to earth mind refused to entertain the fantastic notion that Babi was turning invisible or teleporting away. He continued.

"This time, however, is different. He has not returned before the night is through like the other times, and I am worried. I know he is in that area, and I am determined to find him."

"I see," Kratos nodded, displaying no other sign of emotion.

"Now go," Iodem ordered. "And do you best."

Kratos nodded and saluted briskly, gave a quick, "I shall see to it personally," and then left. Iodem had full confidence in the man's capabilities. General Kratos had been in charge of the Tolbi Army for longer than Iodem had been in Lord Babi's service. The General had carefully and methodically managed and increased the armed forces, and successfully led them on many expeditions. His best efforts included the conquest of Lalivero - after his predecessor took Suhulla - discouraging the Kibombo raids, the Laliveran uprising - they were all now nicely subdued - and the Kibombo Marches, defeating them in the Battle of the Suhulla Desert. If anyone could successfully find Lord Babi, it was General Kratos.

Unable to, for now, do anything more about the problem, Iodem sat down and forced himself to begin eating the still warm meal. He cast his mind to the only major problem now arising.

The prisoner girl from Lalivero – Sheba - held in one of the palace towers.

Tolbi was forcing the Laliverans to build a massive monument, Babi Lighthouse. Work was well underway, but not progressing far enough. Iodem had suggested returning Sheba as a gesture of goodwill to the Laliverans to motivate them to work fast. Funny, anyone else, and they wouldn't be swayed. But this Sheba girl was different.

"Child of the Gods" they called her, or some such nonsense. But Iodem knew that she didn't have 'strange powers'. There was no such thing as magic. Outside, the rain began pouring.

**XXX**

Isaac and the others ran across the landscape as the storm erupted over them, heavy rain pelting down on them. Isaac couldn't help but be reminded of the storm that had taken his father's life over three years ago. Ever since then, he had always felt uneasy in storms, as though something really bad was going to happen. It was probably just trauma, sure, but that didn't make Isaac feel any better. It only intensified his hatred of Saturos and Menardi.

Lightning flashed, and thunder peeled up above through the night sky as he peered through the downpour of rain in vain for some shelter with almost no light to see with. Isaac cursed himself inwardly for not being faster. It was bad enough that they had left it until nightfall before finally getting out of Tolbi, setting up tents was always difficult in the dark, but trying to do so in a storm was ten-fold harder. And during a storm at night… it was effectively impossible.

So, the party searched desperately for some shelter to stay, already soaked as they were. The countryside around Tolbi, however, offered little protection for travelers unable to set up their tents. They were in some lightly hilly terrain, covered in grass with occasional copses of trees that gave little or no safety from the downfall of rain.

"We should have stayed in Tolbi!" Garet moaned. "We should have found an alley to sleep in or something! I hate this stupid rain!" Garet shivered to add to the effect, and slicked his red hair back. The Fire Adept just couldn't stop complaining, he _really_ hated water.

"Sleeping in alleys isn't really safe, Garet," Ivan said from the back of the group. "Tolbi is probably full of thieves at this time of year, especially if Dodonpa sent some from Lunpa."

"Well, it's still better than wandering out here in this cursed rain!" Garet shot back, pulling up the hood of his cloak to try and stop some of the water drenching him.

"It's only rain, Garet. It won't hurt you!" Mia scolded with a slightly amused smile playing on her lips. Of course, that was easy for her to say, she was a Water Adept, while he was a Fire Adept. Garet grumbled in reply, but said nothing more. Mia didn't seem at all concerned that she was soaked by the rain; she didn't even bother to protect herself from the rain. She seemed to not even notice the water. Isaac simply remained silent, and looked around some more as they continued searching.

"We aren't going to find anything," Garet declared. "Let's face it, this countryside is absolutely bare."

"Well, what exactly _can_ we do?" Mia asked. "I want to find somewhere to sleep as much as you, but where?"

"I doubt we can get back into Tolbi anyway," Ivan told them. "Like most major cities, they probably shut the gates at night." Isaac ceased his searches as he found something that looked promising. He opened up his sense to the earth to get a better idea.

"Great! So, we're stuck out here!" Garet continued complaining. "Another marvelous discovery! Things just keep getting better and better."

"Garet, please," Mia sighed. "Sarcasm isn't going to help." Before anyone else could say anything, Isaac spoke up.

"Hey, I think I've found a cave up ahead," he informed the group.

"Now that sounds good!" Garet finally smiled. "I'll take anything over staying out here!"

They quickly crossed the remaining distance and entered the cave, grateful - except, perhaps, Mia - to be out of the rain, finally. It was very dark, but Garet lit a small Psynergetic flame in his hand, bringing a little light that didn't extend very far into the darkness of the cave.

"I wonder where this place is," Ivan mused as he sat down, exhausted. The others did the same, except for Garet who remained standing as he searched his pack for some dry wood to burn so he wouldn't drain his Psynergy.

"Who cares? It's somewhere dry!" he scoffed as he pulled out a torch and lit it, ceasing his use of Psynergy. He moved a little deeper in, and then also sat down. "We don't have enough wood for a fire, so it looks like we'll just have to do without."

"I hope there aren't any monsters in here," Mia then said. "I don't want anything sneaking up on me at night!"  
"We never even thought of that!" Ivan realized in shock, purple eyes shooting wide open.

"Well, logically, we know there isn't anything out there," Isaac said, motioning towards the cave entrance. "Or else we would have seen them. Maybe the rain was keeping them away, or the people in Tolbi; we know they tend to dislike crowds of people. So it's possible there is something in here."

They were all briefly silent as they listened for some telltale sound of a monster. All they heard was the sound of the rain falling and a single rumble of thunder. They waited a few moments with baited breath for something to happen.

"Well, I vote we go for a look deeper in the cave and see if we find anything!" Garet suddenly declared loudly, breaking the silence. He took up his axe in one hand, and held the flaming torch in the other.

"He's got a good point," Ivan nodded. "We really should check just quickly that the cave is safe."

"What do you think, Isaac?" Mia asked. "I know you're tired and exhausted, we all are, and we haven't rested since arriving at Tolbi Docks. But it would be best if we checked it out anyway."

"All right, just quickly though," Isaac sighed as he got up once more. "After that, we're going straight to sleep." The four of them made their way through the dark cave, Garet leading the way with the torch giving off light. As they made their way through the large, dark rocky cave, they found no sign of any monster having ever been there. But they didn't find the end. They kept going on, winding deeper and deeper into the ground.

"Wow, this is a pretty big cave that goes pretty deep," Isaac mused as the kept going. When they could no longer hear the rain up above, Isaac decided that they had gone far enough. If this cave did have anything in it, they would have found it by now. Either that or it was simply too deep down for it to really matter to them up near the entrance, which was really about the same thing in the end.

"Okay, let's head back up now," Isaac called out. "This place is empty. We haven't even so much as seen bats in here."

"Yeah, I'm getting' pretty tired," Garet stifled a yawn. "Let's call it a night."

"Ssshh!" Did you hear that?" Ivan suddenly hissed. They immediately fell silent and listened. Then they all heard it. A faint, weak groan, only barely audible.

"That's not a monster… that's a man!" Mia exclaimed. "We have to help them"

"Let's have a look," Garet suggested. The four Adepts walked ahead only a few feet before the light from Garet's torch fell upon the rocky floor, revealing it to their eyes, and they finally saw it.

Or rather, in a manner of speaking, didn't.

There was no physical object that they were able to see, but there was an outline, a faint glow of the bluish Psynergetic light that an Adept could see round other Adepts when they used Psynergy. And the outline, the glow of Psynergetic light was unmistakably the form of a human.

"Hey! There's someone there! … I think," Garet started, staring in disbelief. It was impossible, Isaac knew, to see such a glow without an Adept using Psynergy. He remained silent as he stared in disbelief, trying to puzzle it out in his head.

"What is that?"! Ivan asked quizzically.

"Who is that?" Mia asked more specifically. Neither the Wind Adept nor Water Adept actually expected an answer to their shocked questions. The whole party was scared out of their wits when the got one.

"I am a person who has fallen in these cursed caves," a voice suddenly spoke from the human Psynergy light form. A person's voice. A male voice. It sounded old, strong; yet deceptively friendly, persuasive. "I am injured and unable to move. Please help me."

The four of them stood there stupefied, unsure of what to say. "How is it that you can see me?"

"Because you're surrounded by Psynergetic light," Mia answered. "How come you can't move? What happened? Are you hurt?"

"No, I am not hurt," the old man's deceptive voice rang out. "But what you said… you know about Psynergy?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Garet asked.

"If you know about Psynergy…" his voice began slowly, almost with a hint of fear, "then you must be Lemurians!" Lemurians! Lemuria was a legend! Lemuria was a mythical city from the Lost Age; it didn't really exist, at least not anymore. What this guy mad?

"No, no, we're Adepts!" Isaac assured the man. "We aren't Lemurians, I assure you!" What kind of idiot was he to think that they were Lemurians?  
"So… you're Adepts, but not Lemurians?" the voice asked, as though doubting the possibility of the claim. Why did it sound so impossible to him, Isaac wondered.

"Yes, that's right," Isaac replied, with false patience.

"Well, I'd really love to, but like I said earlier, I am unable to move, I desperately need your help!"

"Oh, you poor man!" Mia began with sympathy filling her voice. "We completely forgot! What happened to you? How can we help?"

"Hmph, well…" the old, persuasive voice began, coughed a moment, then continued. "I simply ran too low on my precious draught and collapsed here, unable to go back and get more."

"Sounds like this draught of yours is pretty special," Ivan noted.

"Indeed it is…" the old man's voice replied softly, revealing nothing more.

"Will getting more help?" Mia asked anxiously.

"Yes! Please, I beg of you, you must get more of my draught!"

"Well, where exactly is this draught of yours?" Isaac asked, trying to think things through logically. Outside was effectively inaccessible until the storm passed.

"Deeper in the cave, at the very end," the voice replied simply.

"Let's go!" Mia declared immediately.

"Woah, hold on a second!" Garet said. "We haven't even seen what this guy looks like! How do we know if it's safe?"

"Garet!" Mia scolded. "A person is in trouble, we should help them! It's called 'kindness'!"

"I could not show you, even if I wanted to!" The man informed them. "I am completely unable to move!"

"You heard the man, Garet," Ivan told the Fire Adept. "He can't help it. Let's just go and help him!"

"Well… what do you think, Isaac?" Garet looked to the Earth Adept questioningly. Isaac thought over the matter logically. There were a lot of mysteries here. Who was this man? Was he an Adept? Why was he invisible? Why did he think that they were Lemurians? Why did he need this mysterious draught so badly? He seemed too ill to answer these questions now; they would need to help him to get them. And he _was_ an innocent stranger in need of help.

"Well, let's got get this guys draught and help him out first," Isaac decided. Ivan and Mia both agreed.

"Okay, then. If Isaac says so," Garet nodded, all previous statements forgotten. "I'll do it."

_Once again, it's follow the leader._ Isaac thought silently. _I don't like making decisions for them, but they seem to want it. They're pretty loyal to me._

"Thank you, brave travelers," The invisible man ceased speaking a moment as he descended into fits of sick coughing. "Please… hurry…" he choked in between coughs.

"Let's hurry up, then," Isaac declared turning and heading deeper into the dark caves, followed closely by the other three. Behind him, he could still hear the man coughing, albeit not nearly so seriously now. It only occurred to him now that he hadn't even thought to ask the man's name. Time for that when they got back, he figured.

The dank darkness of the Altmiller caves closed deeply around them as they went on, and even the faint light from Garet's torch did not penetrate far into the gloom. There was perfect silence once more, save for the crackling of the flames at the end of the torch, and the slapping of their leather traveling boots on the flat stone floor. This path was surprisingly well worn.

At last, they emerged into a larger room that stretched on to either side beyond their sight into the darkness. The far side opposite, however, was just faintly visible in the flickering orange light of the torch. Here, Isaac made out a stone door which, he assumed, was close upon the room to which the man had left his precious draught.

As they approached, Isaac also noticed that the ruins of many ancient stone pillars lay crumbling beside the path. He could only assume that there were other such things to be discovered further in the dark. But it did not matter; they were not here for that. Maybe, there was once an ancient city here of a civilization ling since extinct.

Altmillar… the more Isaac thought about it, the more it seemed to tug at the back of his mind. Maybe Kraden had mentioned the name somewhere in his lectures regarding the Lost Age. He didn't know; he didn't tend to think too much on that stuff.

They reached the stone doors and pushed them open. Must old air did not rush out to meet them, as Isaac had expected, but even colder, more frigid air. As the light washed over the room, Isaac saw a simple, empty space with a single stone table sitting by the far side. Upon this sat a single, large jar full of a golden-tinged liquid, sealed shut with a wooden cork. The mysterious, invisible man's draught. That was it.

"That must be it," Mia guessed.

"Well, at least we know for certain now that the cave is empty of monsters!" Ivan said.

"Yeah, that's one thing to be positive about," Garet agreed. Isaac picked up the flask.

"Let's get out of here, now," Garet suggested. "This place is creeping me out!"  
Isaac led the party back out the room and through the dark tunnels as it steadily wound its way back to the surface. They reached the point where the invisible man lay prone; an outline of Psynergetic light surrounding his body. Isaac took out the flask.

"Do you have it?" the voice of the old man asked desperately, losing his formerly precise tone.

"Right here." Isaac handed over the jar to the light of the invisible man. The form of the light shifted as what appeared to be the outline of a hand reached out and grabbed the draught. As Isaac let go, and the invisible man grabbed it, the flask literally vanished before his eyes.

_It turned invisible!_ Isaac realized. The hand outline returned to the rest of the light, and he heard the sound of the bottle being uncorked and a second later, liquid being gulped. Then the invisible man stood up, made a motion with his hand Isaac was unable to discern, and then the Psynergetic light faded and the man became visible once more.

He was very old, yet Isaac was unable to place his age, judging by the man's looks alone. He could possibly be about Kraden's age, or even more. He had long, pale hair that hung straight to his shoulders, and a long mustache that hung to drooping points either side of his pale lips. His eyes were strong and hawk-like, his face a cold expression of imperialism.

But his clothes… Isaac had never seen such extravagance! He had seen expensive robes before on Lord Hammet and Lord McCoy, or Lady Layana's elegant gowns, but this man's put them all to shame. Rich, velvety fur laced with gold and decorated with jewels. That must cost a fortune! This man must have been an incredibly wealthy noble. But Isaac had to wonder… why would a man where clothes like that while traveling, in a cave of all places?

"So… that's what he looked like!" Garet exclaimed, shocked at the man's appearance. "Not what I imagined!"

"What did you imagine?" Ivan asked

"Well… I dunno…" the Fire Adept shrugged.

"My sudden appearance must have startled you," he said smoothly, precisely.

"Yeah! Invisible people aren't all that common in our neck of the woods!" Garet replied.

"I understand," the man nodded politely in reply. "Your ability to see me, though. You really are Adepts."

"That's right," Isaac replied.

"And yet… you aren't Lemurians, you say?" Why on Weyard did he keep bringing that up?

"No, just Adepts," Ivan told him. "We're all Angarans."

"I see…" the man, rubbing his chin.

"So, how were you able to turn invisible?" Isaac finally asked.

"You were using Psynergy," Ivan pointed out. "So, you must be an Adept."

"Hmm… yes, I was using Psynergy…" the man said slowly, after a slight pause.

"But how?" the Wind Adept further probed. "And who are you?" As he spoke, he began to glow with Psynergy, and Isaac realized he was using his mind read ability.

"It is of no importance," the man insisted. "But… yes, I see. You are Adepts indeed."

Ivan ceased his mind read and his eyes shot open in surprise as he took a shocked step back.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "You're Lord Babi of Tolbi! And you were using the power of an ancient civilization!"

Isaac, Garet and Mia simultaneously let out gasps of disbelief, while Babi fixed Ivan with a look that was a mixture of rage, disbelief and insult.

"How could you know that!" he exclaimed. "I never said that!" He took a fearful step back and looked at them thoughtfully.

"You are indeed truly Adepts." Babi noted calmly, regaining his composure. "That must be a Mind Read technique. I had heard of it in… but never actually saw it. But, you say you are not Lemurians? Interesting…" Why did he keep bringing that up?

"No, just Adepts," Isaac assured him.

"I see… perhaps my scholars were right about… well, it doesn't matter now."

"Now, can you please tell us something else about yourself?" Mia asked politely. "That draught we brought you, why do you need it to live? Why did you collapse without it?"

Babi sighed deeply, as though deciding there was no point in hiding the truth from her. "As old as I look, I am in fact even older," he confessed. "Very old. This body of mine has had it. I don't want to die, I want to remain young."

"I can understand your desire to remain young," Mia sympathized. "But there's nothing anyone can do to stop it."

"That's not entirely true…" Babi corrected. "Along with my Cloak Orb;" Babi held out briefly a black crystal sphere, then returned it to his elegant robe pocket, "which allows me disappear from sight using the power of an ancient civilization, I also found a means to thwart death."

"That's impossible!" Garet said. "Nothing can do that!"

"Sounds like something Kraden said…" Isaac mused. "He once taught us that the power of Alchemy, or more specifically the Stone of Sages, could thwart death."

Babi regarded Isaac with a look of realization in his eye. "You say you know the Alchemy Sage, Kraden?"

"Yes, he was our teacher back in Vale," Isaac answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Vale, you say?" Babi's tone was very formal. "I see. Kraden was a scholar of mine at the Tolbi Academy. I sent him up to Vale to research to origins of Alchemy." Kraden worked for Babi! Why had he never told them that? At least now he knew where the scholar came from. He was about to reply when voices were heard from up the tunnel.

"Ah, it seems they are returning to search for me," Babi nodded in satisfaction. "I had no doubts of my soldiers' loyalty. They actually came in earlier to look for me, but of course I was still invisible at the time, and I could not make my voice heard. Were it not for you Adepts, I would have certainly died in here. I owe you my life." He said nothing more as the soldiers approached.

The cave was further lit up as two lightly armored soldiers, each carrying a flaming torch, entered their part of the cave, and stopped in surprise as they saw Babi and the four Adepts.

"My lord! You are well!" one exclaimed in obvious relief.

"We were afraid we would never find you again!" his companion added.

"Well, fear no more then," Babi replied. The first soldier looked at Isaac.

"My lord, who are these travelers?" he asked as though they weren't there.

"These are the people responsible for saving my life." Babi informed the soldier, who then looked to Isaac, smiled and nodded.

"Then we owe you our thanks."

"With all due respect, my lord," the other soldier began, "why were you in these caves?"

"A personal errand," Babi replied cryptically. "But it is taken care of now, and you may escort me back to my palace." The soldier seemed unconvinced, but of course, he couldn't very well question his master.  
Babi turned to face Isaac. "For your actions, I do believe that you deserve a reward," he told the Venus Adept. "Please, accompany me to my palace. I shall provide rooms to you for the night."

"Thank you," Isaac nodded. "Seeing as we were trying to sleep in these caves, a night in the palace would be more than reward enough."

"Oh no, I have a far greater reward in mind for you!" Babi's eyes twinkled with secret cunning. "But you shall find out more later. Come now; let us retire for the night. I promise I shall answer all your questions later."

With that, Babi turned and left with his two guards and the Adepts following behind. What interesting discoveries they had made, with more still to come.

**XXX**

Still a full day's walk from Tolbi, Saturos ordered the party to set up camp for the night a short distance from the edge of the Karagol Sea. Jenna tried to consider her options for escape, but like every night, she came up blank. Saturos and Menardi kept up too tight a watch, and were far too powerful to resist. Escape, it seemed, was still a little way off yet.

_But I will escape,_ she solemnly swore to herself.

"Get some sleep," Saturos ordered. "Tomorrow, we reach Tolbi, and from there, we head straight for Venus Lighthouse." Quickly, they had a camp fire going and dinner ready. Jenna only ate it because she needed to keep up her strength.

"Hmm… Tolbi, eh?" Kraden mused.

"Don't get any ideas, old man," Menardi warned him. "You won't be going in, so none of Babi's soldiers will be saving you." Kraden simply grunted in reply, strangely opting to remain silent.

When they had finished, Alex suggested to the Alchemy Sage that he should tell them what he knew of Tolbi, and its soldiers.

"We are after all, going to be passing through their territories," the Water Adept reasoned. "It would be helpful to know what we face."

"Hmm… well, I've nothing of particular interest to tell," the scholar shrugged in reply. "Tolbi's army ensures its dominion of the area, including Suhalla and Lalivero, and are entirely loyal to Lord Babi himself."

"What about this tower that Babi's building?" Saturos enquired "The one just north of Lalivero."

"Ah… Babi Lighthouse." Kraden nodded in recognition. "Yes… being somewhat of an egotist, it seems Babi is determined to have his name remembered in history with this monument to himself. He used his soldiers to force the Laliverans to build it for him."

"Sounds rather barbaric," Jenna commented, but no one listened to her.

"He even had it built over some ancient ruins!" Kraden continued, sounding offended now. He made it sound as though that was the greater crime. "Babi is more ruthless than most people realize. To 'encourage' obedience, Babi kidnapped a girl from the town, and had her held hostage. She was a very special girl to them all; they called her 'Child of the Gods' for some reason. The Laliverans were so desperate to have her back, they did as they were told and began construction. I imagine that they are halfway done by now."

"Child of the Gods, you say…" Saturos mused. "Tell us everything you know."

"Well, I don't really know a great deal," Kraden confessed.

"Might I remind you that you do not have a choice here," Menardi warned coldly.

Kraden began speaking, but Jenna tuned out. She didn't really much care for it. Any of it. She noticed with certain disgust that Felix had stood up and sat down beside her on the log.

"Go away," she growled softly, but he refused to move. She refused to be the one to move.

"Jenna…" he sighed, trying to think of a way to get her to listen to him. He'd tried this several times before, and each time she'd ignored him. This time would be no different. "Please, I know what you're thinking, but please just hear me out first." Felix received only frosty silence from his sister. He continued, "I know you'll never understand my reasons for deciding to unseal Alchemy again with these two, but…" he sighed deeply. "At least try to understand why I was indebted to follow them at first. You see… after the tragedy with out parents, when they saved me…" he trailed off, thinking better of going there. That had failed last time. "The thing about our parents is…"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Jenna suddenly hissed, interrupting her brother." Don't you _dare_ bring our parents into this! I've spent too long grieving, trying to get over them! You have no right to talk about them. You betrayed them, and everything that they stood for! I'm sick of hearing this, Felix!"

She turned to storm off, but Alex suddenly warped in front of her in a flash of Psynergy.

"Going somewhere?" he asked coolly. Jenna could've screamed with frustration. Instead, she tightly bottled all of her anger deep inside herself, and curled up in her bed, back turned to them all. She felt like she was on the verge of tears. It wasn't fair! There was just nothing she could do.

As the others went to sleep, leaving one up to watch her and Kraden, she lay there, gritting her teeth and thinking of Isaac. Funny, she never did have a boyfriend when she was in Vale. By the time she was old enough to have one, she was busy grieving over her family's death, and later, training to be an Adept. But if she ever did have one, it would have been him. He was handsome, nice and understood her like no one else did. She prayed one day they would meet again. Next time, she wouldn't waster her chance to be with him.

Somewhat comforted by that thought, she went to sleep finally.

**XXX**

Sheba, 'Child of the Gods' to the people of her hometown of Lalivero, stood in one of the locked rooms in Babi Palace, and looked out of the window miserably. Sometimes, she felt like crying, her situation seemed so hopeless. Indeed, her whole life had been sheltered, protected… content, sometimes, but never happy. In fact, always alone.

Sure, she had her adoptive father, Faran, back home in Lalivero, but he was the one person to ever actually care for her in any way. Everyone else just worshipped her as the Goddess they thought she was. Because she had strange powers that she didn't understand. If she focused her mind, she could control the wind as she desired, summon weak bolts of lightning to strike where she wanted, and even read people's minds. They thought this was the power of the gods working through this child. But she didn't know what they were, or where they came from. Certainly not from the gods, of that she was sure. No one understood. They never had. All she really wanted was to be cared for, for someone to see her for a normal person and who she was.

Sheba turned away from the window. Not even the wind could comfort her tonight. Sheba lay down on the bed, and tried to get some sleep. She was always a prisoner. Back home, everyone coddled and protected her, because she was 'special'. Here, she was a 'guest'. Special treatment and nice rooms and food, but a prisoner all the same.

But there was one consolation – the vision she'd had. Her destiny. She'd dreamed that a man who was a master of the earth would come and save her. She would travel with him and his four friends on a quest to save the world from destruction. The Earth Master would risk his life to save hers. And she would find love him. She would discover the truth about herself. That was her destiny.

Comforted once more, Sheba finally went to sleep. Her journey would soon begin, and she could leave this life behind.

**A/N: ** And… CUT! Okay, I think I can guess what you are all thinking. Why didn't he include Colosso! Sorry, I WAS going to try and put it in, but it got too long, so I decided to leave it out. Don't worry, next chapter I 110 guarantee it will be in there. Nothing but pure Colosso action! But I won't reveal too much of what I'm planning to do. Oh, no, you'll have to read if you want to find out, my fine readers. But what does it matter, for he already has the chapter up! Don't ya just love a good 2 chap update? I sure do! Well, what are you sitting around for? Get reading! (And reviewing!)


	22. A Test of Skill

**A/N: **Okay, this is it! The chapter you've all been waiting for! You all know what this is, so I won't bother wasting any of your time with my rubbish. Let's just get straight into it, shall we?

**WARNING! (DANGER WIL ROBINSON!)** This is a two chap update, if you haven't read the previous chapter (Number twenty, Interesting Discoveries) then do so now! If you have, then you may proceed.

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

**A TEST OF SKILL**

Isaac's party had slept very comfortably that night in a luxurious room in Babi's Palace. After a delicious breakfast which was served in their room, one of Babi's highest aides entered the room to speak with them.

"Hello, my name if Iodem," the man introduced himself. "I am Lord Babi's second-in-command." Isaac and the rest introduced themselves. "I am here to speak with you concerning your reward," he continued. "In honour of your rescue of Lord Babi, he has granted you the right to enter the Colosso tournament."

"Really?" Isaac asked. "Colosso? …gee, I don't know…"

"We really have a quest to continue on…" Ivan started.

"I don't believe it fighting for sport," Mia replied.

"Hey, that's great!" Garet exclaimed! "I'd love to fight in the Colosso tournament!"

"Actually, Lord Babi has extended this offer to Isaac of Vale only," Iodem informed them.

"What!" they all exclaimed. Why would Babi pick him especially?

"That's not fair!" Garet whined. "I want to enter!"

"Why me?" Isaac asked.

"Lord Babi picked you because he felt you were the best warrior as leader of the group," Iodem explained. "And he wants to see your Psynergy abilities in action. He wants to see what a fighting Adept is capable of."

Isaac frowned. "We can't do this. There's this group we are following and we have to stop them before it's too late."

"Besides, aren't we supposed to clear the trials or something?" Ivan queried. "I thought that they all took place yesterday. Today is supposed to be the start of the actual tournament!"

"That is true…" Iodem nodded. "However, Lord Babi has decreed that you needn't participate in the trials. He believes that having saved his life qualifies as trial enough."

Isaac thought about this a moment, then he suddenly realized something. "Wait, you just talked about our Psynergy as though it were normal! How do you know all about that?"

"Lord Babi has briefed me previously regarding all such knowledge," Iodem explained with infinite patience. "In truth, I only know the bare minimum, and even _that_ I had trouble understanding, let alone believing…" For the first time, the man appeared to have lost some of his normally reserved composure.

"So why doesn't Babi come down here and explain it all to us?" Garet interrupted, forgetting to add the honorary 'Lord' before Babi's name. "He promised us a few answers."

"My _Lord,_" Iodem emphasized the word as though a reminder to Garet, "has taken ill, and will be unable to speak with you until he has recovered."

"Sounds a bit convenient…" Garet muttered, fortunately not loudly enough for Iodem to hear. It was remarkable, Isaac thought, how much Iodem's clear, precise yet formal and polite way of speaking reminded him of Kraden.

"So," Iodem said, "what say you, Isaac? Will you enter Colosso?"

"I can't," Isaac shook his head. "Like I said, there's a group we're following and we have to catch them, because…" Isaac was about to say 'the fate of the world hands in the balance,' but decided that entailed too much explanation, so settled for, "it's very important."

"I see…" Iodem mused, not really understanding. "Important enough to pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?" Isaac nodded. "But there _is_ a substantial cash prize for a victory." Isaac pondered this. Their coin _was_ getting low… but this? "Also – and Lord Babi promised this for you only, should you win – he will grant you any request you ask, provided it is reasonable and within his means. Lord Babi will decide weather or not to accept your request."

Isaac was silent for a moment. "I need to think about this," he said. Iodem nodded. Babi certainly seemed eager to entice him into this tournament… but why?

"Isaac, you're not seriously thinking of doing this, are you?" Mia whispered.

"Hey, if you don't want to do this, I'll gladly take your place!" Garet offered.

Regardless of why Babi wanted this, Isaac began to form an idea in his head. Perhaps this tournament would turn out for the better.

"Iodem, could you please excuse us for a moment" he asked. "I wan to talk with my friends."

"Of course," Iodem nodded, and left the room.

"I have an idea," Isaac told the others once they were alone.

"What?" Garet urged.

"Aside from the fact that we're short on money," he explained, "this reward could really help us."

"You mean about the request part?" Ivan asked. The Earth Adept nodded.

"How?" Mia asked.

"Well, we sailed across the Karagol Sea while Saturos and Menardi went around, right?" The others nodded. "So, we must be at least a day ahead of them now towards Venus Lighthouse."

"Right," Ivan nodded. "Which is precisely why we can't waste any time with Colosso!"

"But," Isaac interrupted, "if I win, I can ask Babi to order all his soldiers from here to Suhulla to even Lalivero to capture of even kill the four of them if they see them and return Jenna and Kraden safely back to us!"

"Isaac, that's a brilliant idea!" Garet exclaimed. "See, that's why you're our leader!"

"But we'd still follow them, right?" Ivan asked. "Just to make sure and to get the Elemental Stars back."

"Of course," Isaac admitted. "Besides, even ignoring Felix and Alex, Saturos and Menardi are powerful Adepts. Likely, they'll need our help to beat them, but at the very least, this'll slow them down. Besides, thanks to the Karagol trip, we'll be right on their tails, if not ahead of them."

"We'll probably need all the help we van get," Mia said. "After all, remember Mercury Lighthouse? Even weakened by its power, Saturos put up a good fight. Both of them together, at full power, will require more than just the four of us, even if we are more powerful now."

"Another reason I want to fight in Colosso," Isaac said. "If I can do all that, I'm sure I'll be ready for Saturos again." _Then, it'll be time for revenge._

"You're pretty serious about this, huh?" Garet asked. "But you _have_ to win. Otherwise, your plan's ruined and we're back to where we started."

"I know," Isaac sighed. "That's why I mustn't fail."

"Hey, with your Psynergy, you'll be fine!" Garet assured him.

"That reminds me!" Ivan exclaimed. "How _are_ you going to fight? I mean, if people see you throwing rocks around, making earthquakes and healing yourself, what are they going to do? They'll probably think you're some kind of demon!"

"I know," Isaac nodded. "I'll have to be very low key about it. But, I promise I'll win, mo matter what."

"So, it's decided then?" Mia asked and Isaac nodded once more. They called Iodem in, and he patiently awaited his answer.

"I'll do it." Isaac told him, determination in his voice. "I'll fight in Colosso."

**XXX**

After agreeing to the fight, Iodem led Isaac down to the palace basement where, he explained, there was a secret underground passage to the colosseum. Along the way, Garet, Ivan and Mia left to go to the Colosseum via the front entrance. They promised to be right in the front row seats and cheering Isaac along the way.

The underground tunnel was made of stone and only dimly lit with candles at regular intervals. At the end, a flight of stairs took them a few feet up where Isaac found himself in a large square room with several large warriors and a few of the Tolbi guard.

"It is here that I must leave you, Isaac," Iodem informed him. "Though frail, Lord Babi will watch your performance and will require me at his side. Best of luck."

"Thanks," Isaac replied, and Iodem was off, back through the tunnel they'd entered together.

"You must be Isaac, Lord Babi's champion, I presume?" the captain of the guard approached him.

"That's me."

"The rules state that a warrior may not fight with any armour or weapon of their own, save what they find in the arena," he articulated dryly. "Please remove any such items that you may be carrying." None of his own fighting gear? Iodem hadn't mentioned that!

_It's too late to back out now. _He removed his leather gloves, steel chest plate and the sheath with his sword in it, and handed them to one of the soldiers, who placed the items in a chest.

"You may retrieve them after the match," the guard recited monotonously. "If you survive," he then added as a grave reminder as to what could happen out there.

"The contest will start shortly!" another soldier declared loudly. "Please wait."

Isaac decided to wander around and look at his opponents. Iodem had already explained the rules to him on the way down. Eight contestants started round one. They ran some sort of obstacle course as a show of fitness, collecting bits of armour and other items along the way, then reached the fighting ring, where the two warriors facing each other would find two swords each, one better than the other. Whoever got there first had an advantage. After the four battles were done, there were only four warriors left. Then round two was a repetition of round one, with a different course and only two separate fights. The two victors then went to round three, different course again, and only one final duel. Whoever won that was declared "Champion of Colosso." Simple really.

There were a variety of different warriors in the waiting room, all with their unique look. And all of them looked dangerous to pick on. Most of them regarded Isaac disdainfully, as though they couldn't believe that someone so pathetic looking could be chosen to be Lord Babi's Champion.

"So, you're the kid Babi chose, huh?" a loud, deep voice said. A huge man, with dark skin who looked like seven foot of pure muscle looked at him. His head was shaven all over and he looked well built enough for any three men. "I heard a rumour that you were a huge, hulking warrior. Guess it was wrong."

"Guess so," Isaac agreed with a shrug, not really how sure to respond.

"Well, I'm Navampa from Gondowan, and let me tell you, I'm going to win Colosso!"

"Don't bet on it!" another warrior scoffed. This one was of a more regular size, but still well muscled, and had many scars across his pale Angaran body.

"Shut it, Azart!" Navampa replied. "You haven't got a hope." The scarred warrior, Azartr, simply smirked, then turned and ignored him.

"Save it for the ring, Navampa," he called out over his shoulder. Isaac looked around at the others and noticed that there was one guy that looked different from the others. Judging by his appearance, Isaac guessed that he was from Xian, probably trained in the Martial Arts Academy by Master Feh. He was sitting cross legged on the floor, hands on his knees and eyes closed in deep concentration.

"That's Satrage," Navamp informed him, noticing his look. "Apparently, he's trying to focus himself before battle, or some such."

"I see," Isaac nodded. He might have said more, but right then, one of the Tolbi soldiers called out the beginning of the match.

"Places, everyone!" The battle will begin shortly!"

"About time!" someone, Isaac didn't know who, agreed.

"All warriors will be paired off, and led to the obstacle course which you must complete before facing your foe. The first round, you will be paired off as follows… Isaac and Azart…"

The scarred warrior called Azart looked at Isaac, and he ceased to listen to the announcer. "Looks like I've got me and easy first victory," he sneered.

"We'll see," Isaac shrugged. He ignored the rest of what they announcer said. When he was done, Isaac was led through the corridors of the Colosseum, and out into the arena.

**XXX**

Lord Babi sat in his chair that was in a position separated from the rest of the seats which stretched far out below him, full of people eager to see blood shed. Further out, in the centre of the Colosseum, was the arena. The first match of the first round was just finished, sending Galahad limping home to nurse his wounds and shattered dreams. But that didn't matter; this whole event was no longer of much interest to him. He had been watching it for too long, for too many years. It was just a scheme, really, to obtain large amounts of money and good warriors for his army.

But the next match would be very different. Because Isaac was fighting and he was looking forward to it. If all went well, then he could set his plans into motion…

"Here is your tea, my Lord," Iodem said, interrupting his thoughts. He set the cup on the small table beside Babi's chair.

"Iodem?"

"Yes?"

"About the Sheba girl." Babi took a small sip of tea, and then set it down again. "Have her sent back to Lalivero."

"Really?" Iodem asked with a tone of disbelief in his voice. Babi nodded. "That's good. Personally, I never like the idea of kidnapping her in the first place."

"So you've said," Babi noted dryly.

"This will improve your image with the Laliverans, who may even work on Babi Lighthouse faster. My Lord, may I ask you something?"

"What is it, Iodem?" Babi was paying close attention to Isaac running the obstacle course.

"What provoked you to change your mind? Not one week ago, you were adamant about keeping her under lock and key until your Lighthouse was finished."

"Let us just say circumstances have changed." Babi replied off-hand. "She is no longer a part of my plan." Isaac had almost finished the course, and he was beating Azart, too. "I've found a newer, more useful pawn to use. One that can offer me far greater rewards, if I'm not very much mistaken."

**XXX**

Isaac ran into the duelling ring, which was still empty. He'd beaten Azart! He immediately ran for one of the two swords, both of which were on opposite ends of the ring. The one he grabbed was the longer, better looking of the two.

Azart ran in only moments later, looked about quickly and grabbed the other, shorter sword. Isaac was slightly out of breath from running the course, but otherwise fine. He had a good advantage over his foe, now.

They circled one another slowly, assessing each other for strengths and weaknesses, openings and likely methods of attack. Azart attacked first.

Azart made a lunge for Isaac, who was quick to react, and parried the blow. The audience cheered in excitement, but neither warrior heard them. They were too focused on each other.

They attacked and defended with their swords, twirling and striking and dodging. Isaac drew on every last reserve of his sword skills. If this had been all that there was to it, Isaac probably would have lost.

But he had a secret weapon. Isaac focused his mind, summoned his Psynergy, and prepared to cast an earthquake…

A sudden, careless opening in his defence from his Psynergy concentration was immediately exploited by Azart, and a sharp stinging pain in his gut told him that his enemy's blade had gotten through. Isaac staggered back in pain, fell to one knee, and clutched his side where the blade had cut. He immediately felt Azart's sword at his neck.

"Surrender, whelp." Isaac groped his side. The cut was deep, nothing life threatening, but bad enough to hurt. A lot. He could heal it later, for now, he let it bleed profusely.

"Well?" Isaac used his Psynergy to create a strong tremor in the earth beneath Azart's feet. He stumbled back and looked down in shock. Isaac used the opportunity to knock Azart's sword away from his neck with his own, and followed through with a strike of his own to Azart's arm. The audience cheered in excitement. They loved this.

Isaac immediately raised his sword in one hand above his head, and brought it down against Azart, who saw this, and easily blocked it. But he had fallen for Isaac's feint.  
With his other hand free, Isaac shattered the ground beneath his opponent's feet, who stumbled and fell, twisting his ankle in a large crack in the ground that wasn't there before, and fell heavily to the ground. The audience, who couldn't see properly why Azart fell from their distance, just assumed it was a mistake, and cheered for Isaac.

The Earth Adept swiped his sword and put a large deep gash in the Colosso warrior's sword arm and he dropped his weapon in response. Isaac then placed his boot on Azart's chest and held his sword at his neck.

"Do _you_ surrender?"

"I-impossible! You cheated, you must have!"

"Do you?" he asked again. Azart looked around wildly, for a means of escape, but found none. His situation was hopeless.

"Fine, then. I surrender." Isaac removed his sword, stepped off, and let Azart stand.

"Azart has surrendered!" an announcer cried. "Isaac is the winner!" The crowd went wild.

**XXX**

"He did it!" Ivan crowed. "Isaac won!"

"Yeah, go Isaac!" Garet shouted. Mia just smiled and said nothing.

"The kid just got lucky!" someone grumbled from behind Garet. The Fire Adept turned to see a man reluctantly handing over some gold coins to his grinning friend. "If he hadn't tripped like that he would have won!"

"Lord Babi didn't send in his champion for nothing!" the other retorted. "I knew he'd be a good bet!"

"He'll lose next time, you watch!" Garet, who had seen Isaac's Psynergy, knew better, but thought it wise to say nothing.

The winning better walked of with his takings, and the loser sat down behind Garet seemingly unconcerned.

"You seem alright for someone who just lost a lot of money," Garet noted.

"Not to worry, I'll make it back next round," the man said self-assuredly. "There's no way that kid'll win a second time. That's a safe bet to make my money back on."

Garet smiled. "Oh, yeah? Just how much you willing to bet?"

**XXX**

Lord Babi sat in his chair, sipped the last of his tea and then set the empty cup aside. Round two was about to begin. After young Isaac's victory, the rest of the matches passed by without eliciting much of his interest. Below him, his subjects of Tolbi and visitors from afar milled about noisily as refreshments were purchased, bets were paid and made and people moved to get back to their seats in time.

"Get ready, people!" a nearby herald shouted loudly. "Round two starts soon!" The push of people returning to their seats increased as they hurried to get ready for the action. Iodem approached his side. "My Lord?"

"Hmm?"

"The Sheba girl… I've informed her that she is to be escorted back to Lalivero as you ordered." Iodem's tone was all formal seriousness, but underlying it was a hint of wanting to ask something.

"Excellent… but, why are you telling me this?" Babi wanted to know why Iodem had bothered to report something so innocuous.

"My Lord…" Iodem cleared his throat before continuing. "When I talked to her… she insisted that she meet with you and hear it herself."

"And you came to me asking this because she asked you too?" Babi asked in a condescending tone.

"Well, I…"

"Never mind, I'm sure she would have trouble believing it." Babi waved his hand, dismissing Iodem's feeling insulted. "I should say goodbye to her myself, personally. Bring her to me."

Iodem nodded and left. The second round had begun, and Babi focused his full attention on the arena. The first two warriors ran their obstacle course and then fought fiercely with one another until one felled the other with a deep cut to the gut, but didn't kill him. Babi didn't catch their names; he wasn't all that particularly interested.

Then Isaac entered the arena, with his new opponent, Satrage. The disciplined warrior from Xian.

They had just begun running the course when Iodem, followed by Sheba and a two guard escort, entered the private pavilion. He felt mildly irritated that he was being bothered during the one match he had any interest in.

"My Lord? Sheba is here." Iodem said. Isaac was halfway through the course now. Babi turned briefly away from the marathon - this wasn't the best bit anyway - and faced the strange Laliveran girl now standing next to him.

"Ahh, Sheba." Babi said in a voice of false warmth. "What brings you here?" Sheba wore valuable Laliveran robes that reminded Babi somewhat of that boy, Ivan's clothes. She was short, even for a fourteen year old girl, and her straight blonde hair was cut short to just below her earlobes making a sort of smooth blonde bowl shape atop her head. She looked at him with calm purple eyes that seemed to see into his mind. Now that Babi thought about it, she certainly looked not all that dissimilar from Ivan of Kalay.

_Child of the Gods_ the Laliverans had called her, because she had purportedly fallen from the sky as a child – Babi didn't believe that one himself – and possessed 'strange powers'. Babi knew what those powers were. Psynergy, because she was nothing more than a wild Adept, like those Lemurians he'd met, oh so long ago.

"You said you're setting me free," Sheba said softly, disbelievingly. "Is this true?"

"Of course it is, girl," Babi replied. "Would I lie to you?"

Sheba didn't bother to answer the question. "Does this mean everyone in Lalivero is free now? That they can stop building you your stupid Lighthouse?"

"No, my dear," Babi chuckled, "just that they get you back. If they keep working hard, they get to keep you."

"I knew it was too good to be true," she muttered.

"See how generous I am?"

"Oh, yes, very," she replied sarcastically. "Well, it's been such a pleasure staying here," she said this especially sarcastically, "but I'd rather be going now."

"Fine, then." Babi waved his hand dismissively. Isaac was almost done, the fight would start soon. "Be gone. Iodem, see to it she is escorted back by our finest, we don't want any harm to come to our special child, now."

"Oh, yes, I can see how that would really traumatise you," she remarked, rolling her purple eyes. That girl had a naturally sarcastic tongue.

"It shall be done, my Lord." Iodem nodded, and then left quickly with the Sheba girl and the two guards.

They were quickly forgotten, however, as Babi turned to the arena, and saw that the fight was about to begin.

**XXX**

Isaac burst into the battle ring and, much to his delight, again got the longer, sharper of the two swords available. He was almost out of breath from running that obstacle course at full speed. His wounds from the previous fight were aching from his exertion, but he didn't have time to heal them as Satrage of Xian immediately entered and seized the other blade without hardly looking for the other one. Or realising it was gone so fast that Isaac didn't notice.

The Satrage turned on Isaac, held his blade ready in a native Xian stance, and focused on his enemy with a ferocious intensity. The man didn't seem in the least fazed by his weaker weapon, distracted by the cheers of the crowd, or exhausted in any way by the obstacle course.

_This one's going to be harder to beat,_ Isaac noted.

Then Satrage leaped for Isaac and the battle commenced. With incredible speed and skill that Isaac could barely fathom, Satrage attacked relentlessly. It took everything Isaac had just to keep himself alive. He fell back under the rain of blows, blocking, dodging and parrying with everything he had.

Isaac desperately tried to get some distance between them, but failed. Satrage was too fast. With cold determination, the Xian warrior kept as close as possible. Isaac couldn't use any Psynergy while every ounce of his concentration was focused on using his sword just to stay alive.

_I need to slow him down somehow…_ he thought.

As Isaac blocked another strike, Satrage raised his sword for a downward slash and the Earth Adept quickly rolled away. As Satrage tried to ready himself again, Isaac found himself a moment to focus himself.

_Growth_.

Thick, strong vines-like weeds suddenly grew up around Satrage's feet, holding him down. The warrior, not noticing this, lunged at Isaac while he was seemingly leaving himself open. Satrage's body suddenly jerked to a stop, and he fell down on his face, snapping the plants at his feet as they crumbled to dust.

The crowd booed and hissed in disappointment, thinking that he'd tripped. They weren't able to see that something unnatural had held him down. Satrage dropped his sword in surprise, and as it clattered to the ground, Isaac used his Psynergy to shape the earth beneath it so that it was held down.

After he did this, Isaac suddenly realised how many minor cuts Satrage had inflicted to his arms and sides, all bleeding freely. He'd been so intensely focused on fighting that he hadn't even noticed.

_Too many to heal just now._

At that moment Satrage was on his feet. He groped for his sword, found it stuck, then stood and looked at Isaac with rage and realisation dawning on his face.

"You're cheating!' he hissed accusingly. Isaac let his sword hand by his side. With Satrage disarmed, he'd effectively won.

"No, I just did something that you couldn't." Satrage noted how Isaac had let his guard right down. Without any warning, he lunged at Isaac with a high kick for the head. The Earth Adept raised his sword instinctively with a speed Satrage hadn't expected. The blade pierced his belly, spilling blood out, while Satrage's boot collided with Isaac's head, causing him to fall back and pull his sword back out. Satrage fell to the ground in pain, seemingly unable to get up again, while Isaac staggered and managed to remain standing, albeit barely. There was large bruise on the side of his head and his neck ached after it had been violently jerked, but he stayed conscious. He'd blacked out for a second after the initial blow, but he was fine. For now.

"Isaac of Vale is the winner! Satrage of Xian is unable to get up!"

The crowd let out a loud roar of approval.

"…impossible…" Satrage muttered to himself. "… cheated…"

_I feel kind of light headed after that…_ But he didn't think about it too hard. Rubbing his sore neck, and ignoring the bleeding wounds, healing them would have been too suspicious anyway, Isaac allowed himself to be led away by the guards that then appeared.

**XXX**

"I… I don't believe it!" the skinny gambler scoffed.

"Pay up!" Garet encouraged, holding out his hand for the money. The man grumbled indignantly for a moment, the dropped the bag of gold coins into Garet's open hand and then stomped off without so much as a farewell.

"Hmm… not bad…" Garet grinned as he weighed the money with no small amount of satisfaction. "I could easily get rich like this…"

"Hey, Mia… Isaac didn't… kill Satrage did he?"

"No, Ivan, it was just a flesh wound. If they get it properly stitched and bandaged, then I'm sure he'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Hey, Mia, Ivan," Garet called out, "I'm just going to go… get some refreshments." Instead, he went to the betting venue, where he found someone eager to gamble.

"I'll bet everything on Isaac of Vale to win round three," the Fire Adept declared proudly to one willing gambler, holding out his bulging leather bag of coins.

"Are you crazy!" The man's eyes practically jumped out of their sockets. "Do you have any idea who he's up against?"

"Does it matter?"

"Navampa of Gondowan!" the man said almost fearfully.

"Doesn't mean anything to me," Garet shrugged. "I'll still put it all on Isaac." He held out his now much increased coin sack to the man, who eyed it greedily.

"Okay then, it's a bet!" the man grinned, and licked his lips in anticipation. "Easy money is good money!"

**XXX**

Isaac ran into the arena, out of puff. That obstacle course had been the hardest one of all! And not helped by his many injuries – which he was yet to heal – and his aching neck, giving him the most horrendous of migraine headaches.

Navampa, a hulking seven foot giant of pure muscle, his dark Gondowan skin a stark contrast to Isaac's pale Angaran complexion, already stood there, holding the longer sword triumphantly.

"Go on, kid, take the other sword," he said almost tauntingly. "I want you to be at least a bit of a challenge!" Isaac immediately picked up the other sword blade; shorter than and not as sharp as Navampa's own, and held it ready. Navampa grinned enthusiastically. "Your dead meat, kid."

Navampa swung his sword and Isaac raised his to block, but the force of the blow was enough to drive him back. Navampa made several more strikes, and each time Isaac blocked it and each time he was driven back.

_Navampa's very strong,_ he noted mentally, _and I'm getting very weak._ Isaac staggered back, momentarily unable to fight. Rather than take the opportunity that the Earth Adept's opening presented, Navampa gestured for roars of approval from the crowd, basking in the glory of the moment.

_He's taunting me! He thinks I'm no challenge! _Isaac leapt for Navamps, sword poised for a killing blow, but the Colosso warrior spun and parried quickly, before Isaac even had a chance to register what was happening. Then, a powerful punch from Navampa's clenched fist pounded into his jaw, feeling like a rock had struck. Isaac stumbled and reeled back, somewhat dazed from the blow. Navampa could have easily taken him down then, but instead he taunted Isaac and let the crowd shout their approval.

_I should get him now, while he's not attacking._ He tried to focus, to summon his Psynergy but found his mind was too dazed to bring into focus properly. _Forget it._ Instead, he lunged at Navampa with his sword again. And again, Navampa spun and parried the blow with ease, this time swinging the sword so strongly that Isaac's blade flew out of his hand and landed a few feet away, out of his reach.

_I'm done for!_ He took a step back, completely defenceless. _I should just surrender now._

"You shouldn't play in a man's game, kid," Navampa sneered, and Isaac realised he wasn't even going to get the chance to surrender, as Navampa raised his sword. Isaac took another step back. His head had cleared a bit now. _I should try some Psynergy, now._

Isaac raised his hand, and thick vines tore out from the ground beneath Navampa's feet, which wrapped themselves tightly about the warrior's feet. Vines with large, sharp thorns. As they dug into this flesh, drawing out blood, Navampa screamed in agony and dropped his sword. It landed point first on the ground, and Isaac immediately grabbed the handle, letting the thorny growth about Navampa's feet crumble back into dirt. Isaac began to raise the sword at the same time as Navampa fell down to his knees and landed right on top of his own blade, piercing right through his belly.

As Navampa collapsed into a heap, Isaac tore the sword out and threw it away. _I hope I didn't kill him!_ Navampa coughed up some of his blood, and Isaac was relieved to discover that the warrior was alive. But he was dying.

"Navampa of Gondowan has been defeated!" the announcer cried out. "Isaac of Vale is the winner!"

_I can't kill him! I'm not a murderer!_ Isaac raised a bloodied hand and summoned that last of his strength to heal Navampa. When he was done, the warrior was no longer bleeding, and breathing easily. But he still glowered balefully at Isaac.

"…impossible… you musta cheated…"

"Isaac of Vale is Champion of Colosso!" There was a deafening cheer from the crowd but Isaac barely heard it, it all seemed so distant. He was only vaguely aware of two people carrying off Navampa's limp body. Of the crowd chanting his name.

He saw his three friends standing on the edge of the arena to greet him, but he saw them as though in a dream.

"Good on you, Isaac! I knew you'd show 'em what you're made off!" That was from Garet.

"Congratulations, Isaac!" Ivan said.

"I'm so glad you survived!" Mia exclaimed.

"How do you feel?" Ivan asked.

"I'll be fine," Isaac said, smiling weakly as his hold on consciousness faded. Then it vanished altogether as his knees buckled under him and everything went black. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

**A/N:** Ahh… I was pretty pleased with how this chapter turned out. It was one of my better chapters, in my opinion; I hope you liked it as much as I did. Well, all thoughts and opinions are appreciated, so you know what must be done. Until next time, Adios Amigos.


	23. Lord Babi's Request

Okay, a shorter chapter here (for me anyway) but it contains everything I wanted to put in. I haven't anything to say, let's be on with the show.

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I do own Golden Sun. And Golden Sun two. Yeah, that's right. And you aint getting them, haha! That's right, two little cartridges that have consumed my life, and what feeble mind I once possessed. I own them. But do I own the rights to them? Ah, well, that's a little different… thus, I disclaim all ownership of such things.

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

**LORD BABI'S REQUEST**

Isaac groggily opened his eyes, trying to bring into focus the stone ceiling above him. He felt tired, weak, weary and hungry. He could feel that he was lying on his back in a comfortable bed with thick covers pulled up to his chin.

"Good morning, Isaac," Mia said sweetly from beside the bed, where she sat on a wooden stool. As Isaac sat up, she hugged him tightly. "I knew that you would be alright!"

"Hey, you made it!" Gare cheered, giving a friendly, light punch to Isaac's shoulder. Light as it was, he accidentally hit a bruise causing Isaac to wince in pain. "I knew you were made of tough stuff."

"How do you feel, Isaac?" Ivan asked from next to the Fire Adept.

"Uh… okay, I guess," he replied slowly as Mia released him. Actually, now that he thought about it, he wasn't okay, but he was well enough. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Garet asked, furrowing his forehead.

"I remember winning Colosso," the Earth Adept replied. "But then I sort of blacked out."

"That was due to over exertion," Mia explained. "Combined with your injuries and blood loss. Especially that strained neck that Satrage gave you. It very nearly broke it."

"So that's what made me pass out?"

"Yep, but Mia made you all better!" Garet smiled. Isaac let his head sink back down to the pillow.

"I think I still want to sleep, though," he groaned.

"No time, Isaac," Ivan informed him. "We have a quest remember?" Isaac groaned. How could he forget? Inside, he steeled himself to get up and forge his way onward. "Besides, Lord Babi wants to talk with us." For some reason, Isaac really didn't feel like talking with that old man. But he knew he had to, it was important for the quest.

"Alright, then, let's go," he sighed.

**XXX**

Two of the Tolbi soldiers outside of their door led them to Babi's personal chambers. Inside they found Iodem and Babi waiting for them.

"Welcome, Isaac and friends!" Babi said with a wide smile. Iodem regarded them with a polite smile and inclined his head.

"I'm glad you could make it," he said.

"Congratulations on your Colosso victory!" Babi said, clapping Isaac on the shoulder. "I knew you would succeed!"

"Thanks…" Isaac replied. "To be honest though, I almost thought that I wouldn't make it at some points."

"But you succeeded! As I knew that you would! I never doubted that you had it in you." For some reason, Isaac felt that Babi was just saying that to try and make him like the old man better.

"Thank you…"Isaac repeated, a little uncertain.

"Although I did notice that you fainted at the end there…" Babi frowned in concern that almost seemed false. Or perhaps it was just his imagination. "Must have been a terrible effort… I trust that you are alright now?"

"Yes, I feel a lot better now," the Earth Adept replied.

"He's recovered quite well," Mia put in matter-of-factly.

"Ah, yes, the recuperative powers of youth!" Babi chuckled. In his eyes, Isaac thought he saw a glimmer of longing or melancholy.

"Okay, so why exactly were we summoned here?" Garet asked impatiently.

"Please!" Iodem hissed. "You must speak politely to Lord Babi!"

"Its okay, Iodem," Babi assured his aide. "They may speak freely with me." Babi looked back to the four Adepts. "I wanted to thank you all personally for rescuing me when I was trapped in the Altmiller Caves. I've already disclosed everything to Iodem."

"Yes, I was quite shocked to say the least," Iodem said. "No one else seemed to have noticed, but I thought that there was something strange about how Isaac fought and won the tournament, but I wouldn't have known what if Lord Babi had not explained this 'Psynergy' to me and showed me the Cloak Ball."

"Even _we_ were surprised when we first saw it," Ivan said. "I never actually thought that it was possible to turn invisible with Psynergy."

"So, would you like to hear about Lemuria?" Babi asked.

"Yeah, why _do_ you keep bringing up that old legend for, anyway?" Garet asked.

"Well, when I first saw you, and realised that you could see my Psynergy, I was incredibly shocked," Babi explained. "Especially when I saw you, Miss Mia," he gestured to the healer by Isaac's side. "With you blue hair; I was sure that you were a Lemurian."

Mia raised her blue eyebrows at this and said, "Really?"

"So basically," Isaac started, "because we were Adepts, you assumed that we were also Lemurians." Babi nodded at this.

"Correct. I had no idea at the time that Adepts could be found anywhere else."  
"What makes you so sure that there are Adepts in Lemuria?" Ivan asked. "Or even that Lemuria exists?"

"Oh, I know it exists," Babi replied casually. "I've been there before."

"WHAT!" everyone else in the room exclaimed in shock, Iodem included.

"_You_ have _been_ to the legendary Lemuria!" Babi's second-in-command asked disbelievingly.

"That's impossible!" Garet exclaimed. "You're lying!" Iodem didn't even notice the Fire Adept's insult.

"I do not lie." Babi said coldly, fixing Garet with a powerful stare of the sort that leaders give to their subjects when they're being reprimanded. "I _never_ lie."

"When?" Iodem stammered. "How?"

"I travelled to Lemuria over one hundred years ago," the Lord of Tolbi explained. "During the Great Flood. I travelled there with my old friend, Lunpa."

Lunpa? The legendary Righteous Thief, another fairy tale! _One hundred_ years ago?

"Are you serious?" Garet asked incredulously.

"Of course I am!" Babi replied indignantly.

"You mean the rumours about you are true?" Iodem, asked hesitantly, pale with shock.

"Yes, indeed," Babi nodded. "I am, in fact, one hundred and seventy five years old." Iodem looked almost ready to faint.

"One hundred and seventy five years old…" Mia repeated softly. "That's… impossible… just impossible!"

"How did you live this long?" Isaac asked.

"With the Lemurian Draught," Babi explained simply. "The very draught you brought me, young Isaac. The water of the fountain of youth, quite literally."

"And this draught makes you live forever?" Ivan asked.

"Not quite," Babi replied. "Rather, it slows the ageing process considerably. Even in Lemuria, there is still death, but only after their sense have failed from centuries of use."

"But you also have to drink it regularly," Mia realised. "Otherwise the effects wear off, like what happened with you."

"That is correct," Babi said with a sigh. "Sadly, I don't have enough to continue living for very much longer. That's why I need to find Lemuria again, to find more draught!"

"I can understand your desire to live forever," Mia started, "but…"

"I don't want to die!" Babi pleaded with desperation in his eyes. There was a brief, awkward silence.

"So… you want more of this Lemurian draught?" Isaac asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes… yes, that is correct." Babi said, regaining his dignity.

"So, why don't you just go back to Lemuria and get some?" Garet asked.

"Because I cannot go back to Lemurian," Babi replied. "Lemuria is on a small island in the centre of a vast ocean. In the Great Eastern Sea, it is in a part known as the Sea of Time. It is a place of eternal mists, and shifting currents. It is not easy to find. It was pure chance that I found it the first time, during the Great Flood.

"This is why I have been building Babi Lighthouse. I've sent many ships exploring into the Great Eastern Sea to find it. But none can ever find it in the eternal mists and shifting currents.

"It is terrible that we had to force the inhabitants of Lalivero to build the Lighthouse," he confessed in mock sympathy. "We even had to… take care of their idolised 'Child of the Gods', Sheba. We poured a lot of money into the operation, but it is necessary, for only with the light of Babi Lighthouse could our ships find it."

"How did you leave Lemuria last time, then?" Ivan asked.

"Ah, I left in a Lemurian ship," he explained. "For only a Lemurian ship, unique to their culture, could find a way in without the aid of the Lighthouse."

"Then, why don't you just go back in that ship?" Garet asked.

"Unfortunately, that is not possible," Babi said regrettably. "For Lemurian ships can only be piloted by Adepts."

"How did you get out of Lemuria, then?" Isaac queried.

"Well, as you already know, I can use a small amount of Psynergy for my Cloak ball. That's an item I… acquired from Lemuria. I learned how to summon a small amount of Psynergy from the Adepts there, as well as how to pilot their ships."

"How come you can't use it now, then?" Mia then asked.

"Oh, I'm getting old," Babi sighed. "What meagre Psynergy abilities I once had are failing. That's why I need you." He looked Isaac in the eye. "I have a request for you."

"Let me guess…" Garet muttered under his breath.

"I would like you to take my Lemurian ship, and sail it to the Sea of Time so that you can get me more Lemurian draught." Isaac considered it. "I can assure you, a most substantial reward would be given."

"What do you think, Isaac?" Garet whispered into the Earth Adept's ear. "Should we take it?"

"No, we can't," Isaac answered. "We have our own quest. We're heading to Venus Lighthouse, and we must get there."

_The fate of the world hangs in the balance._

"Of course, I understand," Babi nodded. "But this would seem to be a good fate, for I also have need of reaching Venus Lighthouse. None of my scholars have been able to find a way to enter it. Perhaps you Adepts could solve the riddle that blocks the entrance."

"I think we can," Isaac replied. _I sure hope so, because we have to!_

"Excellent," Babi smiled. "For, if we can reach Venus Lighthouse aerie, then we will have no need of Babi Lighthouse, and will be able to set the Laliverans free."

"That would be good," Isaac replied with a smile.

"Then, afterwards, you could help me search for Lemuria when you're quest is done." Babi looked at Isaac pleadingly.

"If our quest is a success," Isaac answered slowly, hesitantly, "we'll be able to do that."

"Splendid!" Babi cried, with a sigh of relief. "Then it is a deal!" Isaac noted that Babi showed no interest in what their quest actually was.

"We'll need you're help in succeeding, though," Isaac added.

"Ah, of course." Babi said. "I did, after all, promise you a request. Name it."

"There's this group we're following, see, and we need to stop them," Isaac explained. "If you could have your soldiers arrest them on sight…"

"It will be done," Babi declared. "Simply give me their descriptions." Isaac did, and Iodem wrote them down on a piece of parchment. "Iodem, see to it that orders for all people matching those descriptions be apprehended at all costs be delivered to all outposts by carrier pigeon."

"Yes, my lord, it will be done," Iodem replied monotonously.

"There are two hostages," Isaac added. "One of them is Kraden, your Alchemy Sage."

"He's been kidnapped?" Babi raged. "Unacceptable! Iodem, have our troops ordered to bring him back alive and unharmed!"  
"Will do, my Lord."

"And the other," Isaac continued. "Jenna. She must be rescued as well."

"I understand," Babi said, calmly now. "Iodem?"

"They will be told, my Lord." Iodem said, not looking up from the parchment he was scribbling on.

"Have these orders flown out as soon as you can, Iodem."

"I'll see to it personally, my Lord."

"Now, Isaac," Babi returned his gaze to the Earth Adept. "You will need Iodem's assistance to get to Venus Lighthouse, so I'm appointing him to accompany you on your trip."

Iodem looked up in surprise. "You are?"

"Fear not, Iodem, you will be protected with these Adepts."

"Yes, of course, my lord, as you command."

The four Adepts quickly worked out the rest with Iodem and Babi. They would meet Iodem at the Gondowan Passage Bridge, and walk onto Suhulla from there.

"I shall make preparations immediately." Iodem declared, before leaving.

"May you farewell, Isaac of Vale," Babi said with a sly smile. "May you farewell."

**XXX**

Now that Colosso was over, the streets of Tolbi were overflowing with people leaving the city. It took some time to make their way out the city gates, but once they were out, travelling along the wide, open road, it became a bit easier. Most of the people headed along the path towards the Karagol Sea, although there was no guarantee ships would still be sailing, given the current state of the sea. Others headed north to take the long walk around the Karagol. Isaac's party were practically the only ones to head east, towards Suhulla.

During the walk, Isaac had to travel with a hooded cloak to hide his face; apparently the Champion of Colosso was quite popular and he needed to pass through anonymously. Once they were out of the city and away from the crowds, however, Isaac was able to reveal his face again.

After a couple of hours of walking, sometime around noon, they arrived at the bridge that Iodem had spoken off. A wide river that flowed into the ocean north of them from the massive mountains to the south lay before them, and a wide bridge spanned across it. At the stone guard house, they found Iodem flanked by several guards. He was speaking with a soldier who appeared to be the commanding officer. He was giving a description of Saturos's party.

"So, have you seen them?" he finished.

"Yes, sir," the officer replied in a regimented voice. "Yesterday, it was. You don't easily forget a group like that, sir, if you don't mind my saying."

"Hmm… I see." Iodem frowned in concern.

"I did get the order, sir," the officer then said. "But by then it was too late."

"That's okay. We'll catch up to them later;" Iodem waved the man away." Ah, Isaac! Good to see you made it! Are you well?"

"I'm fine," Isaac smiled.

"That's good," Iodem replied. "Well, if everything here is in order, then, shall we be going? The town of Suhulla is a fair distance away, so we'd best be travelling quickly."

Together, the five of them crossed the bridge and headed east.

**XXX**

The walk along the Suhulla Road was fairly mundane and uneventful. There wasn't much to see in the Gondowan landscape. Although the climate was hotter, and the trees of a variety Isaac had never seen before back in Angara, it was all mostly flat and boring. No monsters attacked them – which was just as well as Isaac wasn't quite feeling ready to fight again just now – and Iodem wasn't much of a talker. After not saying much about his role as Babi's second-in-command, they started explaining their journey thus far to him. They tried to explain the concept of Alchemy, the four Elemental Lighthouses and how Psynergy worked. Iodem had trouble understanding, though, and got lost.

"You should just give up," he laughed after a while. "All this magic stuff just isn't my area of expertise. I remember once talking with master Kraden about this, and even he couldn't get me to understand. Of course, I didn't believe anything he told me at the time, thinking he was just obsessed with old myths and fairytales."

"But it's really quite simple!" Ivan insisted. "You see…" He didn't get any further, however, as they topped the next rise. Before them, further down the path, lay a large merchant caravan. And it was under attack.

The unconscious bodies of the merchants lay of to one side, all lined up, while a group of large men ransacked their items. Oddly enough, they weren't hoarding any of the valuable stuff. Silk clothes, gold coins, valuable jewels and various wares were all discarded into the same pile as the worthless possessions of the merchants. It seemed as though the men were searching for something in particular.

The men themselves were all dark, large, muscle bound brutes wielding wooden spears and clad in primitive looking animal skin clothing. The first word the popped into Isaac's mind for them was: 'barbarians'.

"Kibombo!" Iodem gasped in shock. "But what are _they_ doing here?"

"Who are the Kibombo?" Isaac asked.

"The Kibombo are a race of vicious, war-like barbarians who live deep in the centre of Gondowan," Iodem explained. "We've had trouble with them in the past, but there haven't been any raids for years! What could have brought them here? And now?"

"Isaac, we have to help those people!" Mia insisted.

"Be careful!" Iodem warned. "They are powerful warriors, and will resist with fierce fighting!"

"Heh, don't worry," Garet scoffed, hefting his battle-axe, grinning eagerly. "We'll sort 'em out!"

Isaac drew his sword, and he noticed Ivan do likewise. "Let's help those merchants, then," the Earth Adept declared strongly. The four Adepts walked down the hill, ready for battle, while Iodem hung back, watching on. One of the Kibombo warriors noticed their approach, and shouted something to his companions in a deep accent. All of the warriors dropped what they were doing, and lined up along the road, facing against the approaching Adepts, spears held at the ready in battle position. There was perhaps only a dozen metres between the four Adepts and eight Kibombo. Isaac told his party to halt where they were.

"Let's not start a fight just yet if we can avoid it," he told them. "Let's try not to get up close to them if we do fight. Try to use long-range Psynergy, but don't kill them. Just… try and scare them off." They nodded in understanding. Being a leader was becoming easier.

A ninth Kibombgo warrior emerged from behind the merchant wagon. He held no spear, but his clothing gave him the appearance of having a higher rank, the Kibombo group leader perhaps. He wore on his head the fur of the head of some peculiar looking beast with yellow fur and black stripes.

"Do you have any shiny orb jewels?" the leader demanded in a deep voice. Shiny orb jewels? Why on Weyard would he want such a thing? Isaac was acutely aware of the Mars Star hanging at his side in its Mythril bag, but wasn't about to tell this thug.

"Why should we tell you?" Garet retorted, tightening his grip on his axe.

"Garet… that's not going to help!" Isaac hissed at his friend.

"Kibombo! Attack! Seize their items!" the leader commanded, and the eight spear wielding warriors charged forward.

"Okay, then. Attack, but just to scare them off!' Isaac commanded. He raised his hands and willed the earth beneath his enemies to move. A violent earthquake rocked the ground beneath the Kibombo and they stopped abruptly, a couple tripping over as fear crossed their faces.

A ring of fire started by Garet appeared around them, unnatural orange flames leaping up to a height above even the tall Kibombo's heads. They swung their heads about wildly, disbelief mixing in with their fear.

Ivan then pointed his Shaman's Rod at them, and forks of blue-lightning lanced out of the clear blue sky, landing randomly around the Kibombo as though the gods had taken it to mind to smite them, but missed by just that little bit.

Then Mia pointed her Angelic Ankh at them, and droplets of water formed in the sky, raining down on them. Hardly as spectacular as the other's efforts, but throwing the Kibombo into a panic none-the-less. The Adepts ceased their assault, and waited to see how the Kibombo would react.

"They are blessed by the Great Gabomba!" one of them gasped, as though pointing at gods who had appeared on Weyard before them.

"No! The Togamathericon takes them!" another proclaimed with a great deal of fear.

"They are demons of Acheron!" the leader declared with a touch less fear in his voice, but still taking a step back anyway. "We must flee! To the mountains!" Then he turned and fled with all the speed he could muster towards the peaks to the south, not even bothering to make sure his men obeyed and followed him.

The eight Kibombo did follow, however, scrambling after their leader without looking back, some of them dropping their spears in their panic. They disappeared into the thick forest to the south of the path, and weren't seen again.

_Gabombo? Togamathericon?_ Isaac thought in confusion. _What were those things they were talking about?_

"Good job!" Iodem congratulated from atop the hill as he began making his way down. "You drove of the Kibombo! You've done our people a great service. Thank you!" The man reached where the Adepts were standing and stopped.

"That's okay," Isaac said modestly with a weak smile, sheathing his sword across his back.

"Hey, those guys were no problem at all!" Garet grinned. Isaac then realised that Mia had left them, running down the hill towards the merchants with her dress held up to prevent herself from tripping over it.

"We have to make sure these people are okay!" she called out without looking over towards them.

"Wait for us, Mia!" Ivan called out, sheathing his sword and following after her.

"Yes, we had best check to see that they are well," Iodem said in his official voice. He, Isaac and Garet continued down the hill after Ivan and Mia who were now where the unconscious merchants lay. Mia was kneeling by the first one, one hand laid gently upon his brow, her body glowing light blue as she used her Psynergy.

"It's okay," she said softly as they approached. "I don't think any of them are seriously injured, just knocked out by a blow to the head. They should be fine."

"Well, that's a relief!" Ivan sighed. Abruptly, the man Mia was healing groggily opened his eyes and slowly got up, blinking his eyes into focus.

"He's getting up!" Iodem gasped in shock. "Did she do that?"

"Sure did!" Garet replied. "That's our Mia!"

"But how?"

"With her Psynergy," Isaac explained simply.

"I didn't see anything!" Iodem protested.

"No, you wouldn't. You're not an Adept. We explained this to you, remember?"

"Oh, right! I still don't quite understand it, though." Mia had moved on to the next merchant now, and the first one finally became aware of his surroundings.

"Huh… what-who are you people?" he said in a cultured accent. Suddenly, alarm crossed his features and he looked around wildly. "Where are the Kibombo?"

"Its okay, it's okay," Iodem reassured the man softly. "They're gone now. These warriors rescued you by driving them off." The man's eyes took in Isaac and Garet and awe replaced panic in his expression.

"You boys took on nine Kibombo soldiers?" he asked in disbelief. "You must be very great warriors, indeed."

The man stood up and dusted himself off. "Thank you so much for your help." Then he smacked himself in the head, as though just realising that he'd forgotten something. "How impolite of me! I haven't even had the decency to introduce myself! Forgive me. I am Domon, leader of this group of merchants." Isaac and the others introduced themselves. By now, the rest of the merchants had been awoken by Mia's Psynergetic healing, and they all gathered together where Iodem and Domon quickly and succinctly explained what had happened. There were offers of reward, which Isaac and the others politely declined. After that, they kindly helped the merchants repack all their stuff again. Once everything was in place, Domon readied his team to head off towards Tolbi, their intended destination.

"Again, I must thank you all for your kind help," Domon said for the umpteenth time. "We'll be in Tolbi for a while, so if you're ever in town, come visit us and we'll make sure you get a good offer!"

"Thank you, we will," Iodem nodded politely. "Please, as you pass the bridge, could you inform the guards on duty there of this incident? They must know in order to maintain security in this region!"

"Of course we will!" Domon answered with an eager smile. "I want to make sure that this is the first and last time this happens! Now, if you'll pardon my rudeness, I want to get moving. I don't want to be around if those Kibombo return."

"Of course, I understand," Iodem replied. "Farewell!" They said their goodbyes and waved farewell as the horse drawn carts headed west along the dirt road, vanishing over the hill. Then Isaac's party turned east, and continued their quest to Suhulla.

**A/N:** And that's done. Next chapter, things really begin to get going. It's nearing the end of our epic journey, and the last stretch of the roller coaster ride is going to be the best, I guarantee you. Mark my words. Until then, I'll keep writing, and if you have anything you feel you need to mention to me, well, by all means, go right ahead. Adios!


	24. A Reckoning Approaching

**A/N:** Hello again all! Welcome back to another exciting chapter of Golden Sun! Okay, I actually have a few notices I need to inform ye all of, but I shall save it all for the end of the chapter. For now, I'll just say, this is the beginning of the end. The final stretch of the journey is really beginning. Also, I must point out even though this is one of my 'travelling chapters', the focus is a lot more on some of the character interaction this time for reasons you'll see as you read. I suppose you could call it a 'character interaction chapter'? I dunno, subcategorisation (not a real word) of chapters isn't all that important to me, so just enjoy what you read, I say. Also Lighthouseshippers rejoice! Felix and Sheba, woot! I have to say, I love that pairing, and if you don't well too bad coz I'm the author and this is my fic so there. Anyway, enjoys!

**Disclaimer:** Master of Reality does not own any cheese. Oh dang, that wasn't what I was supposed to say…

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

**A RECKONING APPROACHING**

The Suhulla Desert was a harsh environment where only the hardiest of desert life forms survived. Dry, hot and, most of all, windswept. Eternally windswept. Harsh, high speed winds tore at the landscape always, carrying a never-ending sandstorm over the entire desert. The harsh sand and the harsh wind wore away most of the natural features of the desert; it bit at all things and could even tear at a man's skin.

But this weather was unnatural, Sheba knew. The winds should not be so undying, something was driving them on. Sheba knew this, and it wasn't just because she was familiar with this desert – to an extent – she could _feel_ it. The same way she could feel the nature and energy of the wind, using the same power that allowed her to control wind with the power of her mind, summon lightning and read minds. The power of the wind was deliberately and consciously acting aggressively for some reason, with that same power that she possessed that had earned her the title "Child of the Gods". There was also that whole tale that she'd come to Lalivero as a baby by falling from the sky on the night of a full moon, but even she wasn't sure weather or not to believe that.

And now, she was 'escorted' back to her hometown of Lalivero by a half a dozen Tolbi soldiers – straight from one place where she was a prisoner in all but name, to another – this harsh wind and sand assaulted her and her 'bodyguards'. Fortunately, a silk veil that she wore kept the sand out of her nose and mouth, and if she squeezed her eyelids together, it wasn't so bad either. The clothing she wore kept most of her body safe from the wind and sand, only her hands and neck were exposed.

_And the wind is normally my friend… _she thought ruefully.

The clothing she wore was an expensive purple, green and gold robe from the best Kalay had to offer, brought by Faran. The guards had full body steel armour which, while keeping out the sand, must have been exceedingly uncomfortable in this hot environment. Their slouched frames, sweaty faces and continual grunts of complaint made that all too obvious.

She'd read their minds before, but found nothing of any importance. They were just men doing their job, and had nothing personal against her, but she had to get away from them all the same. It was the only way to fulfil the vision of the future she'd had in her dream some nights ago. She saw that a master of the earth would come to rescue her, and she would find love with him. Then, she would leave her old life behind her and fulfil her destiny. Go on a quest to save the world. And find out who she was, where she came from. As much as she loved her adoptive father, Faran, she wanted to be free, to find out where she _really_ came from, who her parents _really_ were and what her mysterious powers were.

These were the thoughts passing through Sheba of Lalivero's mind when it finally happened.

The officer of the group was saying something about the sandstorms making it very hard to tell where they were going, when he stopped, squinting his eyes and peering ahead. Sheba held up a hand to shield her eyes as she looked at the same spot. Up ahead was a group, a familiar group that Sheba had seen before in her dreams.

A group of six. Before them was a powerful whirlwind whirling a thick cloud of sand. She saw the one with the long blue hair raise his hands, and attain a blue aura about his body.

"Who are those people?" one of the guards asked aloud. "And what are they doing out here!" Droplets of water appeared in the air above the whirlwind, created from the blue haired man's power, and fell in a thick rain onto the dust storm.

"Where's that rain coming from?" one of the guards exclaimed in shock. "The skies are clear!" Abruptly, the whirlwind just suddenly decided to stop, and the sand settled down somewhat. It revealed a giant lizard like monsters with red scales and a large, leathery frill about its neck. It resonated with that same power that Sheba felt in the wind.

"What the…? I'd heard people say that there were monsters in the Suhulla, but I didn't think that they were serious!"

The water continued falling, and the monster screeched in pain, apparently the water had an acidic affect upon its skin. The man in blue continued holding out his hands, and channelling his power, commanding the rain to fall. The lizard rolled around in the sand that was now muddy, screeching wildly until it at last gave up and died. The man put down his hands, let the rain stop and his blue aura faded.

"Did you see that?" a guard to Sheba's left asked the officer. "It looked as though that person made the rain appear!"

"Don't talk such nonsense!" the officer retorted sharply, but with an underlying tone of doubt. "It was just your imagination!" All their attention was soon diverted from the group, however, as another whirlwind appeared off to their side, and _moved_ towards them. Sheba then found herself being rudely moved back against a nearby cliff by one of the younger guards.

"Sorry, but Lord Babi ordered us to keep you safe," he told her. "It's more than my head's worth if you get hurt." The soldiers the lined up in front of her defensively and within the whirlwind, Sheba saw that another lizard, much like the one the man in blue had just killed, was within it, creating the whirlwind's power.

"Okay, boys! Remember your training!" the officer shouted. "Kill that monster!"

_They won't get a chance._

The whirlwind's speed picked up to a phenomenal rate, and lifted up the Tolbi soldiers off the ground, twirling them up in the air, sucking them up higher and higher and they were literally blown across the sky, carried along on gusts of wind.

The swirling vortex of air headed towards her next.

"No!" Sheba held up her hands, willing the wind to move with the power of her mind. She felt the power move through her and she commanded the whirlwind to _stop._ It began to slow, slowly easing until it stopped altogether and the sand fell back down to reveal the monster within.

Sheba let her hands fall back down by her sides, her power dissipating, and she suddenly felt very tired and drained. The lizard's scaly hand shot out, and sharp claws dug into the side of her face, throwing her aside like a rag doll. She crashed into a rock and fell to the ground roughly. Sharp pain stabbed at her cheek, warm blood trickling down her face and tears sprang into her eyes. She saw through the blur the monster approach to finish her off.

There was a feel of power from behind it and then suddenly a stone spire was jutting out point first out of the monster's chest. A second later, and a warrior with a sword leapt up and decapitated it, spraying its vile ichor out. Sheba shifted herself and sat up, wiping away her tears as she did so. The man had long brown hair tied back, and wore a green cloak. He sheathed his sword at his side and approached.

Sheba wanted to speak out, but found that she was lost for words. _It's him!_ The man from her vision! He knelt in front of her, and gently laid a hand upon her brow. A blue aura appeared about him, and she felt warmth flow into her. The pain subsided and then vanished. He took away his hand as his blue aura vanished. Gingerly, she reached up to her cheek and found it completely healed. Very bloody, but healed.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. She nodded, then after a moments thought, reach out and hugged him tightly, gratefully.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper into his ear. He hugged her back, then let go as his companions approached them. She could feel within all but one of them the same power that she herself had within herself.

_Why is that? I always thought that I was unique…_

One of them, a tall powerfully built man with blue hair and armour, different to the rainmaker's own, strode up to Felix and stared down at him reprimandingly. From his body language, Sheba guessed intuitively that this man was the leader of the group, a man who took control of the situation and wouldn't tolerate it any other way.

"Felix, what were you thinking?" he demanded loudly. "You could have been killed! You do _not_ go into battle unless I say so, you aren't ready for it. Is that understood?"

Felix looked down at the ground, and nodded glumly.

"I said, is that understood!"

"Yes, Saturos," her rescuer, Felix, said in a hurt tone of voice. The man, Saturos, nodded as if he expected no less.

"Felix, please, you know we need you to get into Venus Lighthouse," a woman in a red dress with blonde hair said. "What would we do it you'd been killed?"

"I'm sorry, Menardi." Felix still looked down at the ground. Saturos waved his hand dismissively.

"Well, it doesn't matter now," he said, then looked to Sheba. "So, who do we have here?"

"Don't talk about her like she's not there!" a girl about Sheba's age with a red ponytail said to Saturos. "It's extremely rude!" Saturos didn't so much as look at her. The blonde haired woman, Menardi, did, however.

"Be quiet, girl!" she snapped, glaring down at the girl with a look on her face that would have made most people shirk and look away. Not this girl, though. She stared right back defiantly, both of them with fire in their eyes.

"Well, Felix?"

"My name is Sheba," she said, suddenly finding her tongue again. "I'm from Lalivero, and was heading back there."

"I see…" Saturos mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"You mean _the_ Sheba?" a new voice asked excitedly. An old man in a dusty brown robe approached. "The one Lord Babi kidnapped?"

"Um… yes…" she replied uncertainly.

"So _you're _the 'Child of the Gods'" Saturos said. Sheba nodded.

"And I notice that you're an Adept, too," the blue haired man who had summoned the rain said in a calm tone. "And from what I just saw, of the wind element."

"What are you…?" Sheba started. None of this made any sense. What was an 'Adept' and how did they know wind was her element? Were they all 'Adepts', too? Why were they trying to get into Venus Lighthouse, and why did they need Felix to do that? So many things that didn't make sense. But she knew Felix had rescued her, and she was sure that he was the one she would find love in.

"Saturos, I do believe we should take this girl with us," 'rainmaker' said nonchalantly.

"That's what I was going to suggest!" Felix suddenly declared eagerly. "We could take her with us! She needs our held, and…" Saturos silenced him with an upraised hand.

"We'll talk about this later," he decided. "Come one, let's get out of here before anymore of those wind monsters find us." He walked off, followed by Menardi and 'rainmaker'. Felix remained by her side, and the red-haired girl and the old man waited for him.

"Would you like to come with us?" he asked softly. She nodded, following him with the others.

"Thank you for saving me," she said again. She clung to his arm, suddenly afraid to be away from him.

"That's okay." It was done, but she had a feeling that there was more to come, that this was just the beginning.

**XXX**

The town of Suhulla, like its desert namesake, was a sandy, windswept place. The buildings were all made from a sand coloured stone and showed signs of erosion around the edges. The townspeople were forever sweeping it away from their doorstops the way people of Imil had to sweep away snow. Everyone in the street wore shawls about their heads that exposed the eyes, keeping out most of the sand. Most people seemed to keep indoors where it was less harsh, exiting only when needed. Unlike other cities they'd visited, there were few vendors out on the street. Here and there they saw pairs of Tolbi soldiers on patrol.

Iodem briskly led the four Adepts through the streets towards an Inn he highly recommended.

"Well, at least money won't be a problem," Isaac mused, fingering the bulging leather sack of gold coins at his side. "We've got plenty of that, now." Lord Babi's reward for his Colosso win was very generous indeed.

"Oh, we won't have to pay anything here," Iodem said with some pride. "We have an… agreement with the Innkeeper."

"Hmm, well that's good, I guess." Isaac let his hand fall away from the coin purse.

"What sort of an agreement is that?" Ivan inquired.

"Oh, nothing important." Iodem waved his hand dismissively. "Here we are." They stopped in front of a large unassuming, two storey building, very old by its look and level of erosion. It was marked as an Inn only by an aged, fading sign hanging above the door. Iodem opened the door and they entered.

Inside, a round, middle aged woman in a greasy apron greeted them from behind a wooded counter.

"Good evening lady and gentleman, how may I help you?" Her voice was old, but cheery.

"Rooms for the night, please." Iodem pulled a sooth piece of paper from his pack, and slid it across the counter. The Innkeeper looked at it closely, then her eyes widened slightly but her composure otherwise remained.

"Ah, a Tolbi official." She nodded to herself, and slid the document back. "Of course, sir, I'll send the bill to Tolbi." A look of suddenly remembering something passed across her face. "Ah, that's right, there's something I have to tell you." She leaned in closer. "You know how they sent Sheba back to Lalivero?" Iodem nodded, he did. "Well, the soldiers escorting her through the desert south of here… they were, well…" She hesitated and paused, searching for the words, perhaps.

"Well, come on!" Iodem urged her. "Out with it!"

"I suppose the only way to put it is… they were brought back."

"Brought back!" Iodem repeated incredulously. "What do you mean? By whom?"

"Well… the desert spirits," she said in a tone that suggested it should be obvious. "The soldiers angered the desert spirits, so they were brought back here by the winds. That's what they get for manhandling the 'Child of the Gods', I suppose."

"Where are these men?" Iodem demanded in a tone of authority. "I must speak with them immediately!"

"They are recovering in a room down the hall," she replied meekly. "I'll take you to see them."

**XXX**

The room the Tolbi soldiers were resting in was dark. The curtains were shut, but the innkeeper lit a candle as they entered. Six beds were lined up neatly along the walls, three on either side of the room, spaced apart by even intervals. Each of the beds had a large, muscle bound soldier lying in it, with their armour neatly piled on the floor by the side. They all had bandages wrapped around them in various places, and all but two were sleeping, or unconscious, Isaac couldn't tell.

Only the Earth Adept and Iodem followed the innkeeper lady into the room, the others had gone into their rooms. Isaac found himself thinking that it might have been a good idea to bring Mia along, but then decided that there would be time to heal the men later on.

Iodem knelt beside one of the conscious men, and Isaac stood just beside him. The innkeeper respectfully withdrew from the room.

"Soldier, do you hear me?" Iodem asked softly. The man looked at him, and recognition bloomed across his face. He seemed somehow relieved.

"Iodem… sir… good to see you…" he spoke slowly, as though it was an effort, then managed a weak smile.

"Tell me, what happened in the desert? What happened to Sheba?" the beaten soldier lost his smile.

"We were… attacked," he said, the pain of he memories evident on his face. "We saw a bunch of strange people in the desert… one of them seemed to be able to stop the wind by summoning rain… I know it sounds crazy, but you gotta believe me!" His voice had found new strength, and so had his body, for he sat up now to continue. "Those winds are created by these weird wind lizard type monsters. One of them attacked us, and… blew us away…" He paused for a moment, trying to remember the details. "I'm not sure exactly what happened next… we were sort of, I don't know… flying, and when we came to, or at least once I had, we were all laying just outside the town walls, all beaten up like this." He shook his head in disbelief. "I know it sounds impossible, but that's what happened!" He tensed up in irritation.

"Easy there, soldier," Iodem said soothingly, motioning for the man to rest. "What's your name?"

"Ilyas."

"Well, Ilyas, you did your job as best you could. I've heard of these monsters and don't blame you for getting beaten. Now, tell me, what happened to Sheba?"

Ilyas's eyes widened as though he'd only just realised something. "Sheba! That's right! We pushed her out of harm's way! But she never got thrown back like the rest of us! She could till be out there!" He groaned in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Iodem, but we've failed Lord Babi."

"You did your best, that's enough," Iodem replied. "Did you get a good look at that group you say made the rain?" Ilyas nodded.

"We only say them from a distance, but it was enough."

"Tell me, did they look like…" and Iodem described them in detail, word for word exactly the same description that Isaac had given him.

"Yes, that's them!" Ilyas said in surprise. "But, how did you know?" Iodem ignored him, briefly, and instead looked to Isaac, silent understanding between them. Saturos and Menardi.

"Thank you, Ilyas, that's all we need to know." Ilyas smiled in relief, and laid back to rest. The two of them quietly left the room, and softly shut the door behind them.

"So, we know we're right behind them at least," Iodem said.

"I think, if they saw her, they might kidnap Sheba," Isaac said. Iodem looked at him quizzically. "You see, to get into each Lighthouse, they need an Adept of that element. They don't have any Jupiter Adepts, and from what you've told me, I think Sheba is one, so…" Isaac noticed the look of complete incomprehension on Iodem's face and realised that nothing he was saying made any sense to the man. "Put simply, they need Sheba for their plans to succeed."

Iodem nodded, this time understanding. "So, we have _three_ hostages to deal with now?"

"Looks like it."

"The Laliverans will never forgive us if they find out about this," he sighed. "Come on, let's get some rest. Crossing the Suhulla Desert tomorrow won't be easy."

**XXX**

After hours of a hard, long, sandy trek, Felix and the others finally stopped to rest in a cave as night set in over the Suhulla Desert. A cook fire crackled in the centre of the cave, a pot of stew sitting above the flames. Alex was the one cooking tonight's meal, and surprisingly enough he was actually one of the best of the group. Saturos and Menardi sat next to one another on one side, but they weren't relaxing. For some reason, they seemed tense, and they wouldn't say why to anyone.

_Probably just feeling nervous, this close to Venus Lighthouse,_ Felix surmised.

While Alex was busy with making dinner, oblivious to all around him – or at least _pretending_ to be – Kraden was busy looking through a notebook of his filled with notes regarding the Lighthouse. Jenna and Sheba sat next to one another, with Felix nearby. The two girls had spoken a bit with one another, and seemed to be getting on with one another, but they still weren't quite more than friendly acquaintances.

Felix moved closer to their new Wind Adept to speak with her and Jenna suddenly found an interest in talking with Kraden, even if he did only reply in a distracted fashion.

_You be the one to speak with her,_ Saturos had said to him earlier. _You be the one to explain everything to her, and ask her if she want to be prisoner or companion. You saved her, so she's your responsibility. _Probably just as well the Earth Adept got the job, for Saturos and Menardi had no people skills whatsoever. Alex did, but they were off-set by the fact that he was always so emotionally detached. So Felix was stuck with the job.

"So, how are you?" he asked casually, trying to start conversation.

"I'm fine," she answered in a soft voice.

"The trek wasn't too hard?"

"No, it was okay." There was a brief pause as Felix tried to work out what to say next, wanting desperately to make a good impression.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, what else was I going to do? I would have done the same for anyone." But that wasn't quite all. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he knew there was something different about her. Something that made his heart flutter and he simply _had_ to save her.

"Well, thank you, anyway."

"Haven't you thanked me enough, yet?" Felix joked. Sheba smiled abashedly, and looked down to the ground as a blush crept into her cheeks.

"Sorry, but I really am grateful." She sidled up a bit closer. "You saved my life, Felix… and I won't soon forget that." Another pause.

"So, tell me about yourself," Felix said. He found himself liking this pretty – in his opinion, anyway – young lady and wanted to get to know her a bit better. "What was it like living in Lalivero?" He seemed to have hit a bad point, for she frowned and looked away.

"I hated it," she said sullenly. "I never got to have any fun." Felix was about to say he was sorry and that she didn't have to talk about it if she didn't want to, but she went on. "Everyone idolised me, worshipped me as the Child of the Gods, but I wasn't and I knew it." Her purple eyes locked onto his brown ones. "I'm just an Adept, just like you." Felix had explained the basics of Psynergy to her on their walk across the desert, and he nodded with a smile. "They told me that I fell from the sky as a baby, though I don't know if it's true."

"I agree, how could a baby have survived a fall like that?" Felix felt pleased when she smiled at that.

"You see? It doesn't make any sense!" Her smile faded, however, as she went on. "I never got to do anything for myself, or go out and play. I never had any real friends, I spent my entire life being pampered; I was practically a prisoner." Her purple eyes looked at him with pleading in them. "Please, don't take me back to Lalivero! I know everyone wants me there, and my father, Faran, cares about me, but… I want to go with you, Felix. I want to be free! I have to go with you."

"Well, uh… that's good," Felix stumbled in reply. Because Saturos needed her for Jupiter Lighthouse, and he couldn't let her go. "But why?" She looked to the ground, blushing slightly.

"I… can't say."

"That's okay," Felix said, not wanting to push her. "We kind of needed you, anyway, because… well, it's actually kind of a long story, really."

"That's okay, it doesn't matter," she said, waving her had dismissively "I want to know about you, Felix. Tell me about yourself."

"Me? You want to know about me?" He felt kind of pleased that she wanted to know about him "Well, that is kind of a long story, too." And deeply connected to why they needed her. "Hmm… where do I start?" Then he realised what a stupid question that was. There was only one place _to_ start. "I guess my story really begins just a bit over three years ago now, back in my hometown, Vale. This really big storm had hit, and…" And so he told his story into the night, all the highs and lows, twists and turns. As he talked, she listened with rapt attention, looking at him with beautiful purple eyes, moving so she was sitting up right next to him, hips and legs slightly touching. By the end of it, Felix was sure that he was in love with Sheba.

**XXX**

Night was now fully settled over the Suhulla, a full moon in a starry sky blotted out by the ever present sand clouds churned up by an unnatural, constant wind. Unlike in the Lamakan Desert, it got cold here at night and Felix wrapped his green cloak tightly around his body, trying to keep out the windy, twilight cold. The monsters of this region, much like the wind, never went to sleep, so Saturos had ordered him to stay up and keep a watch just in case anything threatened them. Everyone was asleep in the cave behind him, while Felix sat just inside the mouth, lazily leaning up against a wall while looking outside. Nothing to see out there though, except dark sand clouds.

He glanced to Sheba, to make sure that she was still alright, even though he knew she would be. She had listened to his story with such interest, the way he wished his sister would. Although, he had noticed that, even though she had been pretending to ignore him, she had seemed to be listening with half an ear.

Felix looked back outside. Venus Lighthouse was not too far away now, and he would serve his part in the quest. But Saturos would still want him around, even though he wasn't needed for success, despite whatever Alex might have hinted at when they had their occasional chats. But what did they still need Jenna for? Kraden, he could understand. The Alchemy Sage had listened at length to Saturos and Alex explain their reasons for releasing Alchemy, even if Jenna wouldn't, and he had come to understand and accept the concept. Felix thought that he might even be half convinced, might even willingly join the quest once he had seen the proof of it. The old man simply refused to support them at all until he had seen the proof.

But Jenna, why did they still keep her? It was obvious that Isaac wouldn't hand over the Mars Star for her, he was that stuck with Vale's teachings, so what good was she as a hostage? Felix hated to keep her against her will like this, and now there was no reason to do so. She hated being here, and would never support them, she had made that perfectly clear, so why not release her? Saturos had explained that, if she were to be released, she would be potentially a great threat if she joined with Isaac's party. She wasn't very powerful yet, like Felix, but had great potential within, again like Felix.

Still, if she knew certain truths, truths which Felix had left out of his tale to Sheba for the sake of brevity, surely she would change her mind? But she would never listen; he had tried before and failed. Still, she had been listening in on his talk to Sheba…

As though his thought about her had been a signal, there was a stirring from within the cave, and Felix's sister stood up, walked towards Felix and sat down beside him. She was still in her usual red dress – dirty from travel – and clutched about herself a dark brown blanket to keep out the cold. Her auburn blaze of hair hung down loose about her shoulders.

"Can't sleep?" He spoke softly, so as not to wake the others. Could it be she was really ready to talk with him again? Felix sure hoped so. He had been trying to explain his story to her for a long time now, but she had thus far refused to listen. And yet, Felix had noticed she had been paying attention when he'd been telling it to Sheba.

"I've been thinking," she said after a moment's thought. For once, her voice wasn't angry when she spoke to him. She sounded oddly calm and reserved. "I was listening to you talking with Sheba earlier."

Felix nodded. "I noticed."

"I've never actually heard your side of the story; I guess I haven't actually really given you a chance." She hesitated, tightened her blanket about herself. "I'm… I'm sorry, Felix. Sorry I didn't give you a fair chance, sorry I wouldn't listen. You seem to have had it pretty though."

"I lived," Felix said with a shrug.

"I never really understood," she went on. "I just thought you were a traitor, someone who wanted power, but… but you really did have your reasons. I'm still not sure _why_ Weyard really needs Alchemy released…" Felix had deliberately not gone into any details on that subject with Sheba for the sake of brevity. "… but I guess that their really is a good reason for you, isn't there?"

Felix nodded. "Didn't Alex explain it to you and Kraden once?"

"Yeah, he did, once." She managed a weak smile. "I guess I really wasn't paying much attention, though. And I refused to remember any of it; anyway, it went against everything Vale's elders ever taught us." She shrugged slightly and then frowned. "I don't like Alex much, he's a jerk and I don't trust him."

"He's not so bad," Felix replied. "He's a bit distant and cold, but… even though it might not look like it, he's loyal and trustworthy, he's proven it in the past." Although, Felix probably wouldn't have staked his life on it.

"It doesn't matter," she said, shrugging the subject off. "Anyway, I'm sorry… do you forgive me?"

Felix managed a soft laugh. "Are you kidding? You're my sister, of course I do!"

Jenna smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"I'm glad all that's out of the way… I was sick of fighting with you all the time."

"Me, too." They were silent for a moment, neither knowing quite what to say. "You like her, don't you?"

"Who?"

Jenna gave him a look that seemed to say, _'You know what I'm talking about.'_ "That girl you were talking to… Sheba." Felix looked away in embarrassment at the mention of her name. "You do! Don't even try to deny it, it's written all over your face!"

"I… well… she's nice…" Felix stammered.

"And she likes you, too, any fool can see it!" she poked him teasingly. "It's called women's intuition! I'll bet even Menardi noticed."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Felix replied defensively. "I mean, Menardi isn't exactly very ladylike."

Jenna laughed at this, softly, trying not to wake the others. "I know what you mean, she's such a tomboy! She tries to act like Saturos in every way! I'm surprised she doesn't cut her hair short, and where breeches instead of a dress." Felix smiled. His sister had it right. Her smile faded, however, and she glanced at the ground, biting her lower lip in deep thought. "Felix… there's something I've been wanting to ask you. When you were talking to Sheba… when you spoke of our parents… you didn't tell her about how they're, you know…" A tear glistened in her eye, and Felix realised she hadn't quite gotten over it. Felix hadn't explained his parent's fate to Sheba, not for the sake of brevity, but for the sake of Jenna's feelings. The time had come to set things straight. He'd put this off for far too long.

"Jenna, about our parents…" he started, speaking slowly. "The truth is… they're not really dead. Their alive." Her head snapped around to look at him, in disbelief, eyes and mouth wide open in shock.

"Are you… are they… really?" She sounded pleading, as though almost expecting him to shatter her fragile hope. Felix nodded reassuringly.

"It's true. They are." She stared at the rocky ground by her feet, a gob smacked expression on her face.

"But… I saw them die…" she hesitated and then sounded a single question. "How?"

"When Saturos and Menardi rescued me from that river," Felix patiently explained, "they rescued the two of them as well, then took us to their hometown." Felix sighed, trying to think of how to say it. "They knew that they needed an Earth Adept like me for their quest and explained the situation to me. Mum and Dad didn't believe them, or approve of my choices…" He suddenly realised that this was going to be a long explanation. "Well, long story short, if I help them release Alchemy, then they'll set our parents free."

"So their hostages!" she asked in disbelief, a fire beginning to burn in her eyes.

"Well, to be blunt…"

"So all this time, you've actually been doing this to save our parents?"

"Well… yes." There was, of course, the whole Alchemy thing as per Saturos's explanation, but he let it be for now. He'd explain it to her another day.

"That's so… noble of you, Felix," she said, with a hint of respect in her voice. "I can't believe this…" Her eyes darted to Saturos and Menardi. "If they weren't so powerful…"

"I would never hurt either of them," Felix cut in. "They're… you don't understand my relationship with them. I would never fight them."

"Then why don't you run away and break them out yourself?" she asked, looking at him seriously.

"Not an option," Felix replied curtly. "It's a long story. The question is: Jenna, are you willing to help me release Alchemy?"

She was silent for a moment as she considered the question, eyes looking at the ground while her fingers toyed with a lock of her red hair. No noise was heard apart from the howling of the eternal wind outside.

"A family again…" she whispered to herself. "Just like the good old days… before the storm." She let go of her hair, and looked directly into Felix's brown eyes with her matching pair. "If we unleash Alchemy… we can get our parents back?" Felix nodded. "But… but what the Elders of Vale taught us about it… how dangerous that power can be for evil, the destruction it could cause… is it really worth it?

"I think it is." Felix took a deep breath as he looked to the ground. Idly, he scribbled with a stick in the sand at his feet, thinking about how he was going to put this. Go too far into Saturos's true theory on the relationship between Alchemy and Weyard, and she would surely disbelieve him, thereby ruining all his work in rebuilding their relationship. The teachings of Vale were clearly still too deeply imbedded within her. He had to tell her just enough so that she would join him and help reunite their family, just like it just to be.

"We don't know for sure that Alchemy would destroy the world. The Elders tell us that if Alchemy were ever released, great wars would wipe out mankind, like at the end of the Lost Age. But really, that's only if humanity lets itself use Alchemy for evil. It all depends on what we choose. We can work hard to prevent anything like that from ever happening again."

Jenna chewed her lower lip in thought. It was a habit she'd had since being a child, and Felix felt a wave of homesickness to see that she still had it. "But… the Elders of Vale… they said that Alchemy would always be used for war. Is it really right to risk it just for our parents?"

Felix sighed, trying to think of another way to put it. "Well… we don't know that for certain. At any rate, the power of Alchemy has other uses, not just war. Remember how Kraden said that, at the time, the Lost Age was called the Golden Age? That's because Weyard was in an era of prosperity, everyone lived well. Not like today, where the world is impoverished, and divided against itself. Wouldn't you like to see the Golden Age restored, and live in it with our parents?"

She gave more thought, still chewing her lower lip. Then, with closed eyes, shook her head in sorry defiance. "I'm sorry, Felix, but I can't do it. As the Elders taught us, with Alchemy, temptation leads to the path of destruction." Felix sighed in defeat. This wasn't the way he'd hoped it would be. "But… to get mum and dad back… maybe I will." Felix felt his hopes rising. Really? "I know I shouldn't, but… I want to see them again… I miss them…" A tear rolled down her cheek, as she recalled that tragic night. Felix wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"But there's always the problem about Isaac possessing the Mars Star…" Felix muttered under his breath, more to himself than Jenna. His sister, however, heard him and looked up with surprised remembrance on her face, sniffing away the last of her tears.

"That's right! Isaac took it with him from Sol Sanctum! How are we going to get it back from him?"

Felix swallowed a lump in his throat. This was the hard part, and Felix really didn't want to have to tell her. "We would have to defeat him." His voice was hard and resolute. It softened, though, as he saw a look of horror cross Jenna's face. "Not kill him, though, we won't have to hill him. Just incapacitate him, so we can get the Star." His sister's face showed clear reluctance. "I don't want to do it, either, but it's the only way!"

"Can't we just talk to him, though?" she protested. "He'd listen to me!"

"I'm not so sure," Felix said in a decisive tone. "He might care about you, but from what I remember, he always took his duties very seriously. He was very loyal. I don't think he'd ever betray his quest." _And he thinks he's doing it to save the world._

"You know, I think you might be right," she replied in a near whisper. "I know him; he could never do that, no matter what. And he's got a personal vendetta against Saturos. He would _never_ work with him for any reason. But… I couldn't betray him like that; I could never force myself to fight him. I… I care about him too much. He was there for me after the accident when no-one else was."

Felix suddenly realised, that in the years he'd been gone, Jenna had developed a crush on Isaac, maybe even loved him. And it wouldn't have surprised him in the least that the feeling was mutual. And Felix approved, even if he was reluctant to admit it. Felix remembered what a great boy Isaac had been when they were growing up together, and felt that he was a good choice. If ever Jenna was to find someone, then Felix was glad that it was Isaac. And yet, ironically, he was now his enemy. And Felix was forcing Jenna to decide between her parents and Isaac.

"I'm sorry, Jenna. I don't mean to force you to make tough choices, but…"

"No, its okay, Felix. I understand." She shivered and tightened her blanket about herself. "But… I don't know." She stood up. Felix moved to follow her, but she motioned with her hand for him to stop. "No, I need some time to myself to think. I need to sleep this over.

The Earth Adept nodded. "I understand." Felix himself had spent many nights agonising and deliberating over his own choices to join Saturos, so he had an idea of what his sister was experiencing.

Jenna moved softly back to her spot in the cave, and sat down. Felix kept a wary eye on both her and the outside. Eventually she lay back down and soon Felix heard her breathing softly as she slept.

_I've sure got a lot on my plate right now_. Isaac, Sheba, Jenna, the Lighthouse… _Why can't anything in life ever be easy?_

Felix sat there for some time, looking out at the twilight sandstorm and thinking about everything. He regularly cast glances at Jenna, grateful that at last they had finally connected and might even be able to work together.

Just as often he looked to Sheba, the beautiful Laliveran Wind Adept, her purple eyes closed contently, blonde hair spread about her head. And he recalled the words she'd spoken, softly so that only he'd heard, about what awaited them. Prophetic words, regarding a vision she'd had.

_A reckoning is approaching, _she had said. _Whichever way it goes, this part of the quest shall end at Venus Lighthouse, and the next part will begin. A reckoning with Isaac is coming. As for me…_And then she'd clammed up, and had refused to say more. Felix was very nervously concerned by this. It could only mean a showdown with his former friends. If Isaac won, then everything for Felix was lost; his parents, the fate of the world, probably even Jenna and Sheba. But, if Saturos won, then two of Felix's former friends would be dead. As much as he told himself he could bear it, he had to; the quest was all that mattered; he knew he was lying. He couldn't live with the guilt. It was as Alex had said, he was too sentimental, his ties weren't severed clean.

_I can't help my feelings,_ he thought ruefully, leaning his head against the rocky cave wall, as he longed for sleep and then sighed wearily. _Why can't anything in life ever be easy?_

**XXX**

Isaac's party, together with Iodem, travelled for two days through the merciless Suhulla Desert, eternally sandy, windswept plains under a burning hot sun. They were all forced to cover their faces with protective cloth, in order to breathe easily. Isaac tied his yellow scarf around his mouth. Mia wore a blue silk kerchief and Garet and Ivan both used Suhullan veils that Iodem provided for the trip. The heat, they were able to handle, they had suffered worse in the Lamakan Desert and Iodem was used to it. The wind, however, was violent and unbearable, even for Ivan, Wind Adept though he was.

The first day was tedious walking, often against the strong winds as though the spirits wanted to send them back. They did see several large monsters, large frill necked lizards as big as a house, with brown leathery skin. Having been hit by Psynergy Stones, they now used their power of wind for their own mad desires, forming large tornadoes to pulverise the landscape and any animal that took their notice. Many of them believed them to be the source of the desert's unnatural wind. Garet coined them "Tornado Lizards".

Although they tried to attack the group whenever they encountered them, the Adepts were now simply too powerful. No beast on Weyard could possibly hope to compare with them; they were all obliterated with little effort. After making several good examples on the field of battle – Garet especially – they seemed to learn their lesson and respectfully kept their distance.

The first night, they camped in a large cave against the mountain cliffs, and still the howling wind did not abate, raging all through the night as the cold set in. The next day passed by quickly enough, the Tornado Lizards and other creatures of the desert gave them no trouble. By the time the sun was beginning to set over the Suhulla Mountain Ranges, they were nearing the edge of the desert to what Iodem called the 'Suhulla Gate', a wide mountain pass and valley. Through this gate wound the road to Lalivero and, more importantly, Venus Lighthouse.

As night settled over them once more, they camped just at the foot of the mountain ranges, near the ancient remains of some weathered giant stone statue. Only the head remained above the sand, still recognizable enough to show it had once been of a king of some sort. Possibly a relic of the ancient Venus Clan that had once dwelt here. It might have been a monument to some long forgotten hero from the Lost Age.

As they prepared to sleep for another night, Isaac looked to the mountains they would cross tomorrow morning. Venus Lighthouse lay just on the other side. Iodem said that, if they kept up a good pace, they would make the Lighthouse some time early the next day. Isaac was determined to end things with Saturos and Menardi there once and for all. He vowed to rescue Jenna somehow, no matter what. Saturos had got away at Mercury, but he wouldn't at Venus. No matter what, Isaac wouldn't let him light the beacon. Whatever happened, their next fight would end it all, a final showdown. And he would get Jenna and the Stars back.

_I promise you, Saturos, there will be a reckoning at Venus Lighthouse. One way or the other, there will be a reckoning._

**A/N:** And that's that done. You know, I'm surprised at how quick I was able to write this one. It was just fun and virtually wrote itself if you know what I mean. You know, I didn't actually plan out how things would work out with Felix and co. I just went ahead with a vague idea, and it just worked itself out. I love it when that happens!

Yeah, I know, there wasn't very much with Isaacs group was there? But there was a lot I had to deal with with Felix, so that's why the focus was really on him this chap. Well, that's my reasoning.

As well, I know the last couple of chapters didn't include much in the way of fighting, but those of you action fans who want to see battles, next chapter will make it up for you! Saturos and Menardi begin the kick some butt! Woot! Man, I love those two characters, they're so cool.

Anyway, as I said, the end draws nigh. I've promised for a while to complete this fic, but early on that could easily be just ignored by readers ("oh, he says that now, but when MoR gets on, he'll give up") but now that I'm so close, it doesn't seem so impossible does it? Just a hop, skip and a jump away. If all goes according to plan, then there should be 4 more chapters left, plus an epilogue. Doesn't sound so hard. After all, I've come this far, whats a few more chapters, huh?

So, that leads me to my next notice. Yes, I'm nearing the end when this will be finished. So, many will ask "are you gonna do GS2 now?" For a while I've been answering those questions with "I plan to, but I can't make any solid promises yet." Well, I can make some now. First of all, once this is finished, I plan to take a small break from writing major novels like this. Just a small one. In the mean time, I plan to write a smaller novel regarding the rescue of Hammet from Lunpa. I've had a few requests for that, and have decided that I will do it. It will be shorter, much shorter length chapters, and will appear after book one is complete.

After that, then what, you may ask? At the moment, I'm not sure. I might very well work on my Zelda fic. Come back to GS some time later. A novelisation of the Lost Age is something I'd definitely like to try some day. Or I may do it straight after anyway. But, I must also add, I won't be writing fanfiction for ever. I have my own original epic fantasy series to write, sitting away in my head. It's not ready yet, but when it is… well, I'll be doing that. I only have 2 major projects of fanfiction that I really want to do, GS2 and my Zelda fic. Also finishing up End Game, and any oneshots that come along. But I may leave one of them if I decide I've done fanfiction enough, and it's time to go out into the world and do my own stuff and make money (hopefully!) So, we'll see. In the end, the future isn't certain, and all our plans are like dust in the wind.

Okay, that was longwinded and not very specific. But this is. I should have mentioned this last chap, but my memory being like cheese and all… I no longer have the internet at home. I now have to go to the library and use their comps to access the net. Don't worry, I'll still be updating regularly, so no major loss there, but I won't be on MSN very often, say sorry. Just thought I should let you all know.

Okay then, I'm going to shut up now, because these authors notes are getting ridiculously long. So, in short, let me just say, read, review and adios.

…_**MoR…**_


	25. Trail of Chaos

**A/N: **Another update for y'all. A little bit more violent than previous chaps, but I'm sure you're all grown up enough to handle it. If not… well, I've never been good with kids, anyway. What have they ever done to deserve being looked after? Anyway, it's divided fairly evenly between Felix and Isaac's PoVs. Hope ya like it and all.

**Disclaimer:** Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own it. Yep, that's right. Now, what are ya gonna do about it, huh? Sue me? Well, go ahead and try it! Seriously, call my lawyer, and I'll get back to ya… (cocks pistol)

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

**TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION**

In the dry, desolate landscape of Gondowan, the tall mountains rose up high to the already hot morning sun. Dark, sun weathered rocky cliffs rose up on either side of the deep valley that was Suhulla Gate, the only pass through these treacherous mountains.

The path they followed was cracked and dry, recognisable only because it was visibly more packed down by the many feet that had travelled along it. As Saturos's party climbed up one of the steep inclines along the road, they saw up ahead there was a small guardhouse. Nearby were stationed four Tolbi soldiers that guarded the pass from monsters, bandits and perhaps these 'Kibombo' they had heard about.

From Felix's point of view, all seemed normal enough. Two armour clad men holding upraised spears standing in slumped, bored positions, two more hanging further back by the actual Guardhouse. They approached at the place set by Saturos, slow and wary, as though he wasn't sure what their intentions might be.

The guards looked to them casually, the same regard they would give for anyone else just 'passing by'. One squinted his eyes, trying to get a closer look, and then his whole body visibly tensed. He then suddenly turned to his companion and began speaking hurriedly. Felix was immediately alarmed. This was _not_ the normal way to react. Something was definitely very wrong here. His hand warily clutched the sword at his side, beneath his green cloak.

Although they were too far away to hear, Felix managed to pick up "matching those descriptions they sent us," and "one of them's that 'Child of the Gods'.

_This can't be good._ His body was tensed for combat. These guards were going to attack them, he was sure. And he would have to fight, undoubtedly. He told himself that he was ready, but he didn't feel it. His heart was fluttering and adrenalin was pumping through his veins. _I'm not ready to fight. Not against Tolbi soldiers, Colosso winners and expert warriors._

His companions clearly felt the tension also. Saturos gripped the sword at his side tightly, and there was a fiery, steely look to his eye that Felix hadn't seen since the confrontation atop Mercury. Menardi held the wooden handle of her scythe carefully before her, one hand near the catch that would unleash the retracted blade in an instant if needed. Alex retained his cool grace as always. Looking at him, one might have thought that he was not aware of the tension, but from experienced observations, Felix was sure that behind those cold blue eyes, his mind was running like the most efficient clockwork.

Others weren't aware. Kraden walked by his side with that distracted look in his eye that said he was daydreaming. Behind him, Jenna and Sheba were chatting lightly with one another. In the short amount of time they had known each other, they had become remarkably close friends.

Then they reached the guards, both of whom raised iron gauntleted hands for them to stop. At Saturos's order, they did.

"Halt," one guard ordered in a deep, stern voice. "We have received orders from Lord Babi of Tolbi that persons matching your descriptions are to be brought into custody without fail. Please surrender all your weapons and come with me to the guardhouse, sir." He gripped his spear tightly, expecting trouble.

"And if we refused?" Saturos growled threateningly. His hand looked ready to whip the sword from its sheath in an instance.

The guard glowered aggressively. "Let's just say that would not be in your best interest." His companion tensed for combat. The two guards from behind began marching towards them.

"Oh," Menardi said. It was all she said. Her eye flicked to Saturos who looked back. In the minute glance, they seemed to communicate to each other the same thing. The two expert Mars Adepts then returned their eyes to the pair of guards immediately before them. The moved like greased lightning.

Saturos's sword flew through the air with deadly grace to the guard before him. Menardi swung her scythe at the second one, blade retracting as it did so. A second later, the soldiers' headless bodies slumped to the ground, spurting out gallons of blood. Their heads rolled alongside them, expressions of surprise frozen upon their faces.

The approaching pair was well trained, they didn't hesitate. They charged at Saturos and Menardi with their spears raised. Saturos raised his free hand, palm facing the duo. Menardi did likewise. Two fireballs formed and scorched through the air. They exploded with deadly fury, enveloping the men in flames, burning away cloth and skin, melting metal armour. The men had barely a full second the scream before dieing.

Heaving sighs of relief, Saturos and Menardi put away their weapons and lowered their hands, the light blue glow of Psynergy about their bodies fading away.

Felix blinked in disbelief. They had killed them… and so quickly. Realising he had drawn his sword, he fumbled it back into its sheath, not wanting to look at the four dead bodies before him.

"Oh dear, oh dear…" he heard Kraden mutter in shock. Jenna and Sheba uttered screeches behind him.

"What did you do that for?" Jenna demanded in a voice of horror and disgust. Neither Saturos nor Menardi bothered to answer or even bother to look at her.

"They didn't really deserve that…" Sheba spoke up in a nervous tone. "Those soldiers were just men doing their job…"

Saturos rounded on them. "Quiet!" he snarled. Felix immediately froze on the spot, afraid to incur his master's wrath, while Sheba gasped in fright and hid behind the Earth Adept. "They were in our way and we didn't have time to deal with them. That was all." He looked up the path. "The Lighthouse is just ahead. Let's go." He walked up the path, demanding the others follow and follow at the pace he set.

"Come on, Sheba." Felix took the Wind Adepts hand and led her up the trail.

"Move it, girl," Menardi ordered.

"I'm going, I'm going," Jenna replied. Kraden was still looking at the bodies in shock, as though unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Jenna brought him back to reality by tugging at his sleeve and urging him on. Menardi followed at the rear, ensuring all behaved themselves.

Alex, Felix noticed with a mixture of confusion and concern, displayed no emotion or even a flicker of interest. As Saturos and Menardi killed the guards, he remained impassive, looking on with cool eyes. Now, he followed calmly, hands clasped behind his back, paying no attention to the bodies as though they were just merely part of the scenery. He stepped over a dead body as though it were just a dead log.

Felix looked straight ahead, and blocked everything out of his mind. Venus Lighthouse was just up ahead, and his role in the quest would soon be fulfilled.

**XXX**

The sun was just up over the peaks of the mountains when Isaac's party reached the guardhouse of Suhulla Gate. He saw the small stone building, the cracked dirt path, the guards…

…_they're dead!_ He looked with horror as his eyes took in the sight. Two guards who had had their heads removed and another two who looked like they'd been burnt alive.

_Oh no… they did this…_

"Impossible!" Iodem gasped.

"Those bloodthirsty brutes!" Garet growled, gripping the haft of his battleaxe tightly as though he wanted to use it right then and there on something of someone.

"I can't look," Ivan said softly, averting his purple eyes. Mia rushed over, examining all the bodies with a hopeless expression. She sook her head without a word, tears forming in her blue eyes.

"This is all my fault," Isaac sighed, lowering his eyes. "I asked Babi to order his men to do this." He had hoped the soldiers would capture or at least slowdown their enemies. He should have known that they would have no chance against a fully trained party of Adepts. He'd signed their death warrants. He was such a stupid idiot. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise, Isaac of Vale," Iodem said with an air of authority. "_They_ are the criminals; they will be made to pay. Let's go!" Isaac nodded. He followed Iodem along the trail, joined by Garet who fingered the curved blade of his axe restlessly.

"Ivan, Mia." The other two Adepts joined him along the windy path. After a half hour of walking, they finally saw the top of Venus Lighthouse as they approached.

**XXX**

Felix cowered in thick bushes alongside Jenna and Sheba, with Kraden right behind him. In this thick forest, there was plenty of cover for anyone who wanted to hide. Venus Lighthouse was surrounded by a lush green forest that made way only for the dirt path passing through, at one point branching off to head towards the Lighthouse entrance, where they must go. So close to their goal… soon, he would open the Lighthouse door and fulfil his part of events.

But, unfortunately, the area was not abandoned. Perhaps two dozen Tolbi soldiers guarded the area, ensuring no one could approach the Lighthouse, and perhaps half as many Tolbi scholars examining the ancient construction itself.

"Well, I'll be," Kraden mused fro behind his bush, peering at his former colleagues through his glasses. "Lord Babi _still_ has this project running, even after all this time. I'll wager that they still haven't learned a single thing more."

"What are they looking for?" Jenna asked; softly so as to no alert the guards.

"A way into the Lighthouse," Kraden explained. "I worked here for a time, before being sent to Vale. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't make the doors open. No one was quite sure how."

"Didn't anyone think that only an Adept of the Venus Element could open it?" Felix asked without turning his head. He peered towards the doors of the Lighthouse. Grand slabs of stone Psynergetically sealed until an Earth Adept could unseal them. Emblazoned upon the paving before the doors was a symbol of a flourishing tree within a circle – the ancient symbol of the long lost Venus Clan.

"Well, of course," Kraden replied as though it should be obvious. "It was the first theory that we put forward. But seeing as we had no Adepts around, Lord Babi ordered us to find some other way. He spent as much money on having his scholars try and enter the Lighthouse as he has on those researching Alchemy at the Tolbi Research Academy."

"I don't understand," Jenna said. "Why does he want to open it so badly?"

"Part of his quest to find Lemuria," Kraden replied. "If someone can climb to the top and see the misty Sea of Time, then he believes it will help navigate his ships to the city."

"I thought that's what he was building Babi Lighthouse for," Sheba spoke up from beside Felix. "He enslaved my people and kidnapped me to build that thing."

"Yes, my dear, but try to understand. Obtaining the resources for the Lighthouse, not to mention paying all the soldiers and labourers in Lalivero is very expensive. He could theoretically save himself a lot of money by just using the Venus Lighthouse instead."

Felix noticed Sheba scowl from where she sat. "It's all about money and power with the man, isn't it? I sure hope he gets what coming to him some day…" Felix shushed her.

"Quiet. Here come the others." Saturos, Menardi and Alex joined them from behind. Despite the fact that none of them wore clothes that blended into the scenery, except for Felix, they had managed to remain unseen. The forest was thick, and so were the guards who didn't even look into the trees. And over the noisy conversations they had, remaining unheard had been easy.

"There's no way around them," Saturos declared decisively. Kraden looked at him in shock.

"You don't mean…"

"We have to," Menardi interjected. "There's no other way." The Alchemy Save looked to the floor in grim acceptance.

"I understand." Felix steeled himself for what was to come next. It wouldn't be easy to watch. Or to control the others.

"Wait, if they're thinking of doing what I'm thinking…" Jenna started. Felix cut her off with a hand on her arm. And clasped it tightly so she couldn't move.

"Please. For our parents." _For our parents, for the quest._ Saturos drew his sword and Menardi, her scythe. Sheba realised what was about to happen and looked away in horror.

"What shall I do?" Alex asked casually, as though they were simply planning no more than a picnic.

"Wait here," Saturos ordered. "Look after the others." The Water Adept nodded coolly.

"Can you handle them all?"

"Of course we can," Menardi snapped. "Against expert Adepts, ordinary men won't have a chance." The two of them strode out onto the road and into full view of the soldiers. Many of them instantly recognised them, and moved to apprehend the two.

Felix noticed that Alex looked on with no expression on his face, but in a rare moment, held a glint of emotion in his eye. Amusement.

Saturos and Menardi began to glow light blue with Psynergy, flames crackled at their fingertips, and the carnage began.

**XXX**

Venus Lighthouse was massive, and reminded Isaac very much of Mercury Lighthouse. Exactly the same in size and height – Isaac could only assume all the Lighthouses appeared the same – but Venus was made instead out of purple stone. High though it was, it still wasn't much higher than the mountains they emerged from. Before the party, the rocky path sloped sharply downward to the large, thick green forest that grew at the foot of the Lighthouse.

"Good, it hasn't been lit yet," Isaac nodded in satisfaction, looking at the massive purple tower.

"There's smoke coming from the forest!" Ivan pointed out in alarm. Isaac looked to where the road and the entrance to the Lighthouse would be in the forest, and saw several thick, black plumes of smoke rising.

"Saturos and Menardi," Garet growled.

"Garet, we don't know for sure…" Mia started.

"Who else could it be?"

"Never mind," Isaac cut in. "They've reached the Lighthouse. We have to hurry." Isaac sprinted down the steep descent, followed by the others.

"There were many soldiers and scholars camped by the Lighthouse," Iodem said, panting as he raced to keep up with Isaac. "If there's a fire… I fear the worst."

"Why are they all there?" Isaac asked.

"I'll explain later. The point is, I have a very bad feeling about what's happened to them." Isaac nodded grimly. "Let's hope for the best."

"Somehow, I don't think hoping is going to be enough," Isaac replied. _If any of them have been hurt, I'll make them pay… even Felix._

**XXX**

The battle was over in minutes. Saturos and Menardi had callously cut down all the soldiers in the clearing with Psynergetic fireballs, using sword and scythe on any that got too close. The soldiers had fought bravely, none of them ran away, but against those two their efforts had been in vain. They were all dead, Felix trod carefully over the corpses.

…_all dead…_

But it was necessary, there was no avoiding it. This quest that Felix had pledged himself to depended on getting inside that Lighthouse. His parent's fate hung in the balance. As Alex himself once put it, "the ends justify the means." Swallowing a lump in his throat, Felix silently agreed, even if he didn't like it. He felt sorry for the soldiers, these men that were just doing their jobs, but he accepted that it simply had to be done. In the big picture of things, as Alex had also put it, these were but small sacrifices, needed for a much larger goal. Having learned the truth from Saturos, Felix agreed reluctantly.

But what he didn't agree with was the elimination of the innocent scholars around the Lighthouse. They hadn't attacked, they were entirely defenceless, but still his two masters had destroyed them too. "We can't allow any witnesses to call for more soldiers," Menardi had explained, but the Earth Adept didn't agree. Kraden had screamed and shouted at that point, pleading for mercy and Felix had had to physically restrain the old Alchemy Sage.

_These people were neutral… not a part of any of this, they didn't deserve to die… they should have left them out of this._ Old, innocent men, interest only in knowledge, killed as they ran, hid or begged for mercy. And Felix questioned whether or not he could really trust this man. Were his parents really worth all these deaths? If this is what Saturos and Menardi were willing to do to release Alchemy, then what would they do once they'd obtained it, Felix wondered. Was this really justified, just for some grander goal?

The two Mars Adepts stood over the last victims now, putting away their weapons, releasing their Psynergy. Their faces looked hard and grim – they hadn't enjoyed what they'd just done, but they didn't regret it either. Felix refused to look at the bodies as he approached the two, careful not to step in any pools of blood or burnt flesh.

_Some of them aren't even dead…_

Alex approached calmly, his expression passive as though what he'd just witnessed hadn't affected him in the slightest. Maybe it hadn't, beneath that cool exterior; Felix didn't think he really knew the Water Adept. He gave the bodies no more attention than the logs in the forest, just like back at the Suhulla Gate.

Beside him, Jenna muttered softly to herself, "…not worth it…" but that was all.

Kraden was mortified. These were men he'd known most of his life, had worked and researched alongside with for as long as he could remember, fellow scholars and men of knowledge. All dead. His head darted from side to side, eyes wide with panic as though he didn't quite know what to do. He constantly muttered, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…" to himself.

"They didn't deserve this," Felix muttered. "They didn't have to die, they shouldn't have killed them."

Saturos looked up from the leafy dirt path. The huge purple base of the Lighthouse covered the view only a dozen or so metres away. Above weather worn grey stone steps were two large doors sealed shut, blocking the entrance. The ancient symbol of the Venus Clan lay embedded in the stone at the foot of the stairs.

"Come on, Felix," Saturos said in a flat tone. "Time for you to open the doors. We need you now." The Earth Adept nodded and made for the entrance. Alex was already nearly there, walking calmly as though he had all the time in the world. Kraden, who would normally be ecstatic at the chance to explore the entrance of the Lighthouse, was oblivious to what was happening. Felix saw the Alchemy Sage kneeling by an injured scholar that he seemed to recognise. Jenna and Sheba were with him; the Fire Adept offering comfort, the Wind standing there shocked, unsure of what to do. Felix made a detour from his way to the Lighthouse to join them.

"He didn't deserve this…" Kraden moaned softly, suddenly sounding even older than usual. The scholar wore robes similar to Kraden's own, only blue and not so worn. The man looked to be only half of Kraden's age. "I've known him for so long… I taught him when he was just a student at the Academy. He showed such potential, I thought he might even come to have an even greater understanding of Alchemy than even myself… he didn't deserve this." The old scholar respectfully removed his glasses. Tears had formed in his eyes, running wet rivers down into his grey beard. He wiped them away with a wrinkled hand. "Such a great boy, so much potential… he didn't deserve this…"

"It's not your fault, Kraden," Jenna said consolingly. "There was nothing you could have done." She looked to Felix. "Is this really all worth it? Are you really willing to do this just for out parents?" He opened his mouth to reply, but found he had nothing to say. What could he say? Sorry, but he was who he was, and this is what he had to be willing to do for the quest? He didn't want to do it, but had no choice? Nothing but useless words.

_Thank goodness I'm not in Saturos' position, doing what he does and making the choices he makes. If I was in charge of this quest, I couldn't do it; I wouldn't be able to cope._

He saw Sheba looking at him with purple eyes, and the look in them made Felix turn his head away. He couldn't face that. How could she ever love someone like him, seeing the sorts he associated with, knowing that this was the sort of stuff that he had to do? It would make no difference if she understood that this was his destiny, he couldn't avoid it.

"Felix!" Saturos shouted. He, Menardi and Alex were now standing at the Lighthouse entrance, waiting for him and the others. "Hurry up and open these doors."

"We should go," Sheba said softly, moving towards them with downcast eyes. "We have to. It's our destiny." Destiny? What had she meant by that? Felix pushed the thoughts out of his mind for now. Jenna tugged at Kraden's sleeve, and pulled him away to follow Sheba. The Alchemy Sage said on final "goodbye," then followed after her. Felix looked down at the scholar. He wasn't quite dead yet. He breathed in very soft, almost imperceptive breaths. Blood smeared his clothes; wide brown eyes looked up at him pleadingly for help. Felix did know a small amount of healing Psynergy, not much, but enough to save this man's life, probably. But he wasn't experienced, it might not work. And it would take time. Time they didn't have.

"Felix!" The Earth Adept turned away from the dieing man and raced to join them. The blood of that man's death would be as much on his hands as Saturos's.

_Must do whatever we have to for the quest…_

"Why did you do it?" he asked Saturos when he reached him. "The scholars, you didn't have to kill them."

"If we didn't," Menardi started in a savage voice, "they might have called for help, brought more soldiers in to attack us. We can't afford that. We need to be prepared to face Isaac's party if they reach us. They defeated Saturos once, if they're able to beat us all, then the whole world is doomed." She narrowed her eyes, and the fire in them was as hot as the chill in her voice was cold. "We have a quest to fulfil, and we will do anything to see it done. Do you hear me, Felix? _Anything._"

Felix nodded in mute acceptance, as he began working his Venus Psynergy to open the doors. Anything. But what if he wasn't quite willing to do anything? But knowing what he did, how could he not continue the quest? And that meant that he _would_ have to do anything to see it done, no matter what he felt. He was torn between wanting to do his duty, and not wanting to do the things that led to fulfilling it.

_Anything… I'm glad I'm not responsible for this quest. I don't want the blood of these people on my hands._

**XXX**

Upon entering the forest at the foot of the Lighthouse, Isaac was shocked by the sight the greeted him. Dead bodies, dozens of them, scattered all over the dirt path. Several small fires were still smouldering in the trees to either side of the path. So were some of the bodies.

It was clear that they had been slain by Saturos and Menardi. This was the work of Fire Psynergists. The Tolbi soldiers had all gone down fighting. They had scorch marks upon their armour, slash wounds form sword and scythe always marked their front or side. Never their backs.

"I can't believe it…" Iodem muttered. "Our very finest… all cut down by just two Adepts. The Tolbi army is the finest in the world, all Colosso victors… how can just two people be so powerful?"

The worst were the scholars. Innocent individuals, harmless; it was clear they had died trying to run away. Their cloaks all had fireball burns in the backs, revealing the sight of burnt flesh.

"I can't believe those two…" Garet growled. "When I get my hands on them…" He stroked his axe blade eagerly, fire crackled around his fist.

"Those poor people…" Mia moaned in sympathy. "How could they do this? How could anyone be so cruel?"

Ivan was too shocked to say anything. Isaac tried to be strong, remain calm and in control.

_You killed innocent people, Saturos and Menardi… I'll make sure you pay for it._

Mia gave a sudden gasp of shock and rushed over to kneel by some of the fallen scholars at the point in the path where the road forked.

"Some of them are still alive!" she called out without looking over. "Quickly, come and help me!" She began checking on the men who were still faintly breathing, albeit barely. She checked pulses and wounds, and began rummaging through her pack as they arrived.

"Mia, we don't have time for that," Isaac said. The Mercury Adept looked at him like she couldn't believe what he was saying.

"What?"

"Saturos and the others are already in the Lighthouse. We have to go and stop them. Now," he added firmly.

"We can't just leave these people!" she pleaded. "They're dieing! We have to help them!"

"If we stay here, then Saturos will light the beacon and all their sacrifices will be for nothing!" Mia looked like she was torn in two.

"But… these people…."

"I'm with Isaac," Garet said in a tone of grim seriousness. "They died trying to stop them. It's up to us to make that mean something." Isaac was surprised. It wasn't like Garet to normally think like that.

_This quest has made us all grow up a bit,_ he reflected.

"Just cast a quick _Ply_ on the survivors," Ivan suggested, regaining his composure a bit now that he'd gotten over the shock of the attack. "That should keep them alive just long enough for someone from, say, Lalivero to come and help."

Mia chewed her lower lip in thought. It clearly pained her as a healer to abandon someone in need.

"Okay," she replied softly. She waved her hand over the man by her knees, blue Psynergetic energy flowing into his burnt and bloodied body. She did the same for a couple of others.

"Okay, then. Let's go," Isaac said, looking towards the Lighthouse. Huge, grey stone doors were set into the purple brick walls, and they were open.

_We have to hurry. They could already be halfway up for all we know._

"I'll head for Lalivero, and send help for these people at once," Iodem said, to the agreement of Isaac. The Adepts were just about to start for the Lighthouse, when the first man Mia had healed sat up uneasily and choked out, "Wait!"

They stopped and turned to face him.

"You're Adepts, aren't you?"

"Yes," Isaac replied succinctly. They didn't have time for all this.

"You're following the ones who did all of this, right?" The Earth Adept nodded. "You're going the wrong way, they aren't in the Lighthouse."

"What?" Isaac had been about to leave, but the man's words caught his attention.

"What do you mean?" Garet demanded.

"I saw them enter after they did all this…" He took a deep breath. "Kraden and Sheba were with them for some reason. They came out a few minutes later… Kraden said… that it was only the exit… that the real entrance is… underground, up north… under the ruins of Alluvion."

"You mean where they're building Babi Lighthouse?" Iodem exclaimed. The man nodded with some effort. "That means they're heading for Lalivero!" The scholar nodded once more uneasily and then lay back again, wincing in pain.

"Take it easy there," Mia soothed, kneeling beside him once more. So that _wasn't_ the entrance? It was really hidden up north. Very ingenious, but then, Kraden had said that the ancient Venus Clan had always been clever.

_I see now why Saturos kidnapped Kraden,_ he thought. _They must have forced him to reveal all that._

"We must leave immediately!" Iodem snapped. "There's an entire garrison of soldiers at Lalivero! They might delay them some more, but…"

"…but they don't have a hope," Garet finished. Iodem shook his head sadly.

"And there are a lot of innocent people on the streets, also…" he continued. Mia's eyes widened in shock.

"No… I will _not_ see anymore innocent people die like this." She stood up, her blue eyes like ice. "Let's go stop them," she said in a cold voice, and then, to the injured scholar, "We'll send help as soon as possible."

"Lead the way," Isaac ordered. Iodem nodded and went down the dirt path through the forest that branched away from the Lighthouse towards Lalivero, followed by the Adepts.

_I won't let you get away with this, Saturos._

**XXX**

Lalivero was somewhat reminiscent of the town of Suhulla. The same style of architecture; yellow sandstone buildings. The people dressed the same, but Lalivero was just a bit bigger in every way. A bigger town, bigger buildings and it was surrounded by a thick stone wall, weathered and sand worn. In places it was crumbling down, evidently it hadn't been maintained in years, though they probably hadn't been needed for defence in decades. In the centre of the town, rising far over all other buildings, was a tall monument, a large stone spire a shade darker than the sand of the landscape. According the Sheba, it had been built there by the Laliverans years ago at the point of her arrival when she fell from the sky. Commissioned by Faran, it was meant as a tribute to the "Child of the Gods".

As Felix approached the town, taking all this in, he eased his sword in his scabbard. There would likely be trouble, and the Earth Adept didn't want to be going in unprepared. He made sure Sheba stayed close by his side, he didn't want her to be harmed or captured, would give his life to prevent it. She had said the townspeople would be likely to try and take her away, thinking they were freeing her, and she didn't want that, to go back to her old life. She wanted to stay with Felix, and he with her, to fulfil his destiny.

Felix had also promised to look after his sister, but Jenna had made it perfectly clear she could look after herself. "I'm no weakling, Felix; I know how to use my Psynergy. I'm about as strong as you or Sheba, and besides, I've been watching Saturos and Menardi, and I think I've picked up a few new tricks."

"What about me?" Kraden had complained. "If there's fighting, I can't defend myself! What if I get hurt?"

"Fear not, Master Kraden," Alex had assured him. "I shall see to it that no harm comes to you. After all, you're the only Alchemy Sage we have, and we can't afford to lose you." Something about the Water Adept's tone of voice seemed to suggest that he cared more for Kraden's knowledge than the individual himself.

"Quiet," Menardi snapped without turning her head. "We're near the gates. Remember, we want to try and get to the secret entrance beneath the ruins as soon as possible. No unnecessary detours." Felix nodded in understanding.

They approached an arched opening in the yellowed walls, which was guarded by two Tolbi soldiers either side. As they approached, with Saturos in the lead, neither guard at first paid them any attention. They were standing in slouched positions, chatting lazily with one another. It seemed like they might pass through unnoticed, and not have to fight anyone, not have to kill any more innocents. Then, one of the guards ran a lazy eye over them. He then asked a single question that consigned him and many others to an early grave.

"Hey, aren't these those guys Babi wants arrested?" Before his companion even had time to formulate a reply, Saturos's sword lashed out and severed the guard's head, while Menardi's scythe decapitated another. They both died with expressions of surprised horror on their faces.

"Damnit, these one are looking for us, too," Saturos growled as he wiped the blood of his blade. "Why are they after us? Is it because of Kraden?"

"But that makes no sense," Menardi replied. "How would they know? And how could they know precisely who to look for?"

Saturos shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. We'll just have to destroy whoever gets in our way. Come on, let's move!"

Already, several of the townspeople had witnessed the incident and were running off screaming, some shouting for the guards. Two armoured Tolbi soldiers were already charging at them with pointed spears. The Mars Adepts raised their hands, and the pair suddenly fell to the ground screaming in agony, enveloped in Psynergetic flames.

_Oh, no. Not again,_ Felix thought. _It's just like before… innocent people are going to be hurt again._

"Stick close together!" Menardi ordered. "Just follow us, and let us do the fighting!" With swords, scythe and fire, the two of them marched into Lalivero, followed by the others, carrying death and destruction.

**XXX**

Lalivero was already burning when they arrived, Isaac saw. Thick black plumes of smoke rose up into the midday sky, an orange glow of fire emanated at the bases of the columns smoke. Chaotic screams of terror wailed from inside the walls. From the town gates, a few panicked people fled for their lives.

"Damnit! We're too late!" Garet cursed. "If they've hurt anyone, I swear…"

"Let's go!" Isaac ordered, picking up the pace, which the others followed. As they approached the town, one panic stricken Laliveran ran past them.

"Stop!" Iodem called out. "What happened?" The fleeing woman didn't stop to even so much as look at him.

"Don't worry about her," Ivan said to him. "We already know what happened." They passed through the stone arched entrance in the town walls, and Isaac saw the chaos in the streets of Lalivero. Two decapitated soldiers lay just inside the archway, partly dried pools of red blood about their necks, head laying facedown nearby. Up ahead on the main street were two incinerated bodies that Isaac immediately recognised as soldiers by their scorched armour. Further along the street were several more slain Tolbi guardsmen. Panicked Laliverans were running about everywhere, completely unsure of what to do in the chaos and some seemingly just running and screaming for no reason. In groups of varying size, armed soldiers attempted to control the people and calm them down.

Isaac saw all this in an instant, before racing up the street.

"Those ruins that this secret entrance is meant to be in," Isaac started up, "They're just ahead, right?"

"Right," Iodem agreed. "Just underneath the Babi Lighthouse construction site." As he finished, a Laliveran who appeared much calmer and in control than the rest, joined up with them, and started running alongside them next to Iodem. He appeared to be of middling years, with brown hair and moustache.

"Iodem!" he said. "I'd love to say it's good to see you, but things are a bit crazy right now!" By the way he spoke Isaac assumed that he and Iodem knew each other quite well.

"Faran," Iodem nodded curtly. "Just the man I need to see. Isaac, this is Faran, Sheba's adoptive father. Faran, this is Isaac, he's going to rescue Sheba."

"I see…" Faran replied a trifle coldly. "I noticed some brutes had kidnapped her, even though some _other_ brutes were meant to be 'looking after' her." He gave a withering glance to Iodem.

"Now is not the time to talk about that," Iodem answered. "Faran, I need your help." He stopped, forcing the others to follow suite.

"Why are we stopping?" Garet asked. Iodem ignored him.

"Isaac, you and the others go ahead."

"But…"

"You don't need me anyway; I would only get in the way. And I have business here with Faran."

"Yes, and I pray some of this business involves telling me just what on Weyard is going on."

Iodem turned to face him. "Yes, I assure you, I will explain everything when there's time. For now, we have work that needs to be done."

Faran nodded. "Right."

"So, I guess this is goodbye, then?" Isaac said.

"I'm sure we'll meet up later," Iodem smiled. "For now, just go, there's no time."

Faran looked to Isaac, and the expression on his face was one of pleading. "Please, bring back Sheba. She means so much to this town… and to me."

"I'll do my best," Isaac promised.

"Thank you." The Laliveran gave a relieved smile. The four Adepts raced down the street, past the stone spire monument and towards the north town exit.

**XXX**

Iodem watched the four kids rushing onward with an odd feeling of regret. From what he understood, some terrible battle awaited them when they finally caught up to this group they'd been chasing. Such a burden for such kids; powerful, though they may be. He'd grown kind of fond of them, they were friendly and honest in a way he hadn't experienced since entering Lord Babi's service. Still, they had their duties, and he his.

"Iodem? I believe you owe me an explanation. Who were those brutes, why do they have my Sheba, and why are they being attacked by your soldiers?"

"I'll explain later," Iodem replied, turning away with a sigh. "For now, we need to send as many soldiers as we can spare to Venus Lighthouse. And all the healers we can spare, too. There are a lot of injured people there."

"I don't think we can spare too many," Faran replied in grave concern. "A few are tied up here, with all the confusion."

"Then send construction workers if you have too… we need to clear that area…" They began walking back to the south entrance where the Tolbi barracks were located.

"Okay, but now you have to tell me what's going."

"Right, but it won't be easy to believe…"

"It never is." And so, Iodem and Faran quickly began making their plans, the animosity between them temporarily forgotten.

**XXX**

Lalivero behind them, Isaac and the others entered the construction site of Babi Lighthouse. The stone pavement before the structure was scorched black in many places. A stack of large wooden logs used in the building blazed in a huge bonfire off to one side. The entire place was deserted, not a single construction worker remained, though fortunately not a single dead body lay anywhere. It seemed that they had all managed to escape in time.

Although Babi Lighthouse was not yet very tall, it was clear the builders intended to build something to rival even the Elemental Lighthouses. The base was formed of thick red stone, worked together with the best tools known to man. Already it was high, but not high enough for Lord Babi. There was one door built into the front, and Isaac led the party through it.

Inside were two sets of stone steps. One flight led up to the top of the partially constructed tower, while another, older and more worn looking set went down. Isaac took the latter.

It led down, down underground, where it became dark and cold. Upon the walls were writings and symbols of a long dead language, and every so often they saw the ancient symbol of the Venus Clan. They were in the ruins of Alluvion, once an underground metropolis, capital city of the Venus Clan, now lost. Old passages of cracked stone branched off in several directions along the way and Isaac picked which way to go based purely on intuition.

_Who knows, maybe my element will guide me._

The stone floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, with many footprints in it. Evidently, Saturos' trail. Isaac followed it. Finally, the trail they were following ended at a massive door of solid rock, with the Venus Clan symbol emblazoned upon it. Isaac guessed intuitively that this was the true entrance to the Lighthouse. It was facing in the proper direction if his sense of direction was to be believed.

"Here we are," Isaac said. They stopped before the doors. "How do you suppose we open it?" Garet walked up to them, and gave them a strong push. They didn't budge an inch.

"Well, they seem to be locked pretty tight," The Fire Adept noted. Isaac stepped up to them, and they smoothly slid open automatically.

"Each Lighthouse can only be opened by someone of that respective element, right?" Isaac said. "Well, it looks like I just opened it." Beyond the door, a long dark tunnel of ancient stone delved deep into the earth towards Venus Lighthouse. As the doors opened, white pearl like stones began glowing with white light, showing the way, like torches from Sol Sanctum from so long ago. More impressive technology from the Lost Age.

"Alright, let's go settle the score!" Garet declared.

"I hope Alex is in there," Mia said in an icy tone. "He has a lot to answer for."

_I'm coming for you, Jenna._

The Adepts entered the tunnel and began making their way towards Venus Lighthouse.

**A/N:** Ah, and that wraps up another chapter. Man, I'm so close now! Almost there, folks! Next chapter, the Lighthouse itself… and you know what battle is coming up soon, dontcha? Are ya excited? I am! Hopefully the final showdown will be the best battle of the whole fic, at least, that's what I'm aiming to make it be. Well, we'll see what happens. Until next update, any questions, reflections, criticisms, critiques, opinions, etc. can be sent to me via the review option. Or a PM or email if you wish it to remain unread by the public.

So, until then, Adios Amigos! (is it just me, or are my a/n getting shorter, and more pointless?)


	26. Venus Lighthouse

**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE**

**VENUS LIGHTHOUSE**

The underground tunnel heading towards Venus Lighthouse was cold and only dimly lit by the 'glowstones', as Kraden termed them, so aged and long unused were they. Perfectly angular walls of worn purple stone stretched for what seemed miles, ancient runes and symbols carved upon them; here and there pictures were also added.

"So much knowledge!" Kraden exclaimed, looking about. "Look at this all! It looks as though the entire history of the Venus Clan is written upon here! Oh, if only we could stop and study it."

_Typical,_ Jenna thought. _ Here we are about to risk the fate of the world with Alchemy, and he's fussing over some ancient knowledge!_ Saturos had led them along the hallway at a brisk pace just short of a run. They passed several more doors that only opened at Felix's approach, and many ancient, dusty monuments of the Clan. Eventually, out of the gloom, Jenna spotted the end of the hallway. Dusty stone steps wound up into what she assumed was the base of the Lighthouse.

"Wait here!" Saturos ordered, raising a hand. The group came to a halt. Kraden took the opportunity to observe some ancient writings on the wall to one side, while Sheba hung on to Felix's arm like she was afraid of letting go. Jenna had noticed the way they'd gotten closer over such a short period of time, and thought it was rather cute.

_My big brother's got a crush on Sheba!_she thought in amusement. And she _knew_ that Sheba had the same feelings; it was obvious in the way she acted around him. Even though the pair was still too shy to confess their feelings to each other, Jenna was sure that it was just a matter of time.

Menardi darted up the stairs with her scythe ready, checking to see that the coast was clear. A few moments later her voice echoed down the stairwell that it was safe to go up. Saturos strode up, followed by Alex strolling calmly, then Felix with Sheba at his side. Jenna followed, but stopped when she realised that Kraden wasn't following.

"Hey, Kraden!" she called out to the Alchemy Sage. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, yes," he replied in a distracted fashion, then tore his gaze away from the writing on the wall. "Saturos! Can I have a word with you? I've just discovered something that I think you should know!"

"Not now, we don't have time for useless trivia! Now, come on!" And he disappeared up the stairs without another word.

"But, Saturos, you don't understand, it's important! It's about – oh, blast, so rash!" The old man then rushed up after him, pushing past Jenna whilst saying apologetically, "Sorry, but I'm rather in a hurry!"

"We were already in a hurry, in case you didn't notice!" she snapped, without thinking, then followed after. The Alchemy Sage gave no indication that he'd heard her. At the top of the stairs, Jenna emerged in the first room of Venus Lighthouse. A square room of the same purple stone that the rest of the Lighthouse was made of. The symbol of the Venus Clan was once again emblazoned upon the floor, a branching tree within a circle. There were two doors; one that led to a rising staircase and another that led outside, the one-way exit. That way was barred by a Psynergetic barrier of golden light that was impenetrable.

_I remember that. That's where we got stuck when we first entered the Lighthouse._ They'd been stuck there until Kraden realised that it was only an exit, designed to fool potential intruders such as they. Somehow it could be temporarily deactivated, but only from this side.

"Saturos, wait!" Kraden shouted. The Fire Adept stopped at the door he was about to enter and turned to face him.

"Look, whatever it is, I don't have time for…"

"You brought me along so that you could make use of my knowledge, correct?" Saturos scowled, but nodded. "So you should listen when I have something to tell!"

"Fine, what is it?"

"About the lighting of Venus' beacon." The Alchemy Sage had Saturos' attention now. "You see, I was just reading on the wall down there, detailing about the beacons power, and well, you remember Mercury, right? Just toss the Star in and the beacon came up? Well, I've had a theory going for some time, but never had any solid evidence to go by. Well, you see, Water is a very stable element, while Earth is much more destructive…"

"If you have a point, then I suggest you get to it," Menardi hissed.

Kraden licked his lips nervously. "Right, right. Well…" he walked up to Saturos and began talking in a quick, low tone. Jenna shifted her feet irritably. How long was this going to take? Then she thought of Isaac rushing to rescue her, and thought that the delay would be good. But then, there were her parents…

_If we explained to Isaac what we're trying to do for my parents, surely he'd understand?_ But if that meant releasing Alchemy, then would he do it? Such an action was taught as anathema and blasphemy in Vale, but she was willing to do it for those she loved, but she was sure that Isaac wouldn't. No, he was too determined to do the 'right thing'. What a frustrating situation. Now she understood what Felix had been going through, and felt sorry for him. As troublesome as the choice was, she was slowly coming to a decision.

Kraden finally finished, and waited for Saturos' reply.

"Alex, go see how close those kids are."

"As you wish, Saturos." The Water Adept inclined his head and disappeared in a flash of light.

"But you're not certain of this, are you, Kraden?" Felix asked uncertainly.

_What did he just tell them? Darn, I wish I had been listening._

"Well, no, really, anything could happen…" Kraden replied. Saturos paced up and down the room in though. Why was he wasting so much time?

"Saturos, those kids will almost certainly catch up to us soon, if Alex's previous observations are correct," Menardi said. Several times already, Alex had teleported to spy on Isaac and report on how far behind he was. And he always said that he remained unseen. "This all goes in with what we planned earlier."

"Yes…" Saturos ceased his pacing as he came to a decision. "Right, Menardi and I will go on ahead. Felix, I want you to take Jenna and Kraden to the ship at Idejima and wait for us there."

"What? I don't understand, won't you need me inside the Lighthouse?" the Earth Adept spluttered.

"We only need you to get in," Saturos replied. "We've done that, we can handle the rest. Just do as we say."

"Hey, what's this about a ship?" Jenna cut in. "Nobody mentioned anything to me about this!" Nobody paid her any attention.

"We can't enter Jupiter Lighthouse without the Rod of Hesperia." Saturos pointed out. "Nor can we light Mars without their Star. We're going to make sure we get them. Peacefully, if possible."

Felix swallowed and nodded. "I understand."

"And we're taking Sheba with us," the Fire Adept then added. Sheba held herself even closer to Felix with a frightened look upon her face.

"No, please! I had a dream last night…"

"Oh, quiet with you and your dreams, girl!" Menardi snapped, and the Wind Adept cut off at once, hiding behind Felix.

"No, you can't take her!" he snapped. "What do you need her for, anyway?"

"We have our reasons," Saturos replied with a hint of menace. "Now, let her go."

"No." Felix's face hardened.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Jenna said with all the strength she could muster. "She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to!"

Saturos fixed an angry red glare on her. "Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you."

"Felix, I think you're letting your feelings for Sheba cloud your judgement," Menardi said coldly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

For a moment, there was a tense silence, while Kraden shifted awkwardly to one side. Jenna and Felix glared at Saturos and Menardi, who stared back hotly. It was Sheba who broke the silence.

"I'll do it… I-I'll go." Her voice was soft and meek as she let go of Felix's arm and stepped forward.

"Wait, you don't have to do this, Sheba…" Felix started.

"No, I do. I've seen it in my dreams. It's my destiny." Felix looked at her in disbelief.

"Good girl, Sheba," Menardi said as she brought the girl to her side and then began taking her up the stairs of the Lighthouse.

"Goodbye, Felix…" she said softly with a mixture of sadness and loss in her purple eyes. And then she was gone.

"Goodbye," Felix said.

_The way she said 'goodbye'…_ Jenna thought,_ it was almost as though she thought she'd never see him again._

"I expect to see you at Idejina," Saturos said. "It Alex pops up, tell him I said to tag along. I'll see you then." Saturos disappeared up the stairs, leaving Felix staring at the spot where he'd been. Or rather, where Sheba had been. He stood there visibly tense, Jenna knew that inside, Felix was silently debating with himself. About whether to follow after Sheba, she had no doubt. It was clear as day that her older brother had feelings for the Laliveran Wind Adept.

"Uh, Felix…" she started. "Maybe we should be going now?" Felix glanced at her, then back at the doorway.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why did her have to take her? She would be safer with me, what does he need her for?"

"I don't know," Jenna shrugged. "Come on, Felix, let's go… I want to save our parents." He whirled around to face her, delighted surprise on his face.

"Really? You mean it? You're willing to release Alchemy for them?"

"Well, I don't know if that's really the best way of going about it, but…" she sighed in thought, then continued. "But I want to release them. I've been thinking about it and I want us to be a family again." She looked him in the eyes. "I'll do what I have to in order to get them back, I swear it."

Felix sighed in relief, and gave her a reassuring smile. "That's good to hear, sis. I'm glad you think it."

"I still don't think we should release Alchemy, though."

His expression became serious once more. "I understand. We'll talk about it later."

"If I may say so," Kraden interjected, "we should continue this discussion later. Time is, as they say, of the essence."

"You're right," Felix nodded. "We need to get moving. With Alex gone, I guess I'm the leader now. Jenna, Kraden. You both know the way to the Idejima peninsula, right?" Kraden nodded that he did and Jenna promised she could follow him. "Then you two go there alone, I'm sure I can trust you, even if Saturos wouldn't. I'm going to find out what he wants with Sheba." He made for the door again, but Kraden stopped him.

"Wait, Felix!" The Earth Adept turned to face the Alchemy Sage. "Saturos had his reasons; can't you just accept it at that and leave it?"

"No, I need to know." He turned to go again, but Jenna stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Wait, Felix. Kraden what do you know about Saturos' reasons for taking Sheba?" she asked.

"Me? Why, oh, nothing." He took of his glasses and began polishing them with his robe.

"Kraden," Felix said in an uncharacteristically stern voice. The old scholar sighed, putting his glasses back on.

"He made me promise not to tell you…" he said in a regretful tone. "Very well. Saturos spoke with Sheba at some point regarding her visions… he seemed to need her up there, something about destiny…"

"Destiny?" he asked incredulously.

"It's complicated…"

"I'll bet it is," Felix growled. He tore himself away from Jenna, and made for the door once more.

"Wait, Felix…" Jenna called out.

"No, I'm not waiting!" he said, rounding on her. "Kraden, didn't you say that when the beacon was lit, the Lighthouse would react violently?"

"I said it might," Kraden corrected. "But…"

"I don't want to risk her!" he shouted.

"But, Felix…" Kraden argued. "What if Isaac comes? I know how you feel for Sheba, I was young once, too, you know, but…"

"If Isaac comes, then she might be hurt!" Felix responded passionately. "Or worse, they might try to take her back to Lalivero. Sheba hated it there, she'd rather be free."

"You can't make that choice for her, though, Felix. Think about this rationally, for a moment. Saturos ordered you too…"

"I don't care what Saturos told me!" Felix interrupted aggressively.

"Felix…" Jenna started, but her brother ignored her.

"Doesn't he trust me? Is that it? Three years I've been with him, and he doesn't trust me? What do I have to do to prove myself to him?" Kraden opened his mouth to speak, but Felix raised a hand to forestall him. "He won't let me fight, and now he won't tell me what he needs Sheba for, what he's risking her life for."

"Felix, calm down…" Kraden said, reprimanding.

"No, I won't leave her up there! I won't risk Sheba's life!"

"Felix! Stop for a moment!" Jenna said, and Felix glared at her, anger in his eyes.

"Jenna, be quiet!" The Fire Adept took a surprised step back, and her next words were lost on her tongue. Her brother _never_ spoke to her like that! Did her really feel so strongly about Sheba? Felix began to glow light blue with Psynergy, and he stretched his arm towards the switch and made it shift with his mind. Behind her, the Psynergetic barrier of golden Venus Psynergy vanished, unblocking the Lighthouse exit.

"Go to Idejima and wait by the ship," he told them in a cold, flat voice. "I'm going to get Sheba and I won't hear a word against it." He spun on his heel and entered the doorway, climbing up the stairs as fast as he could.

Kraden simply sighed wearily, and shook his head disapprovingly. "Such a terribly rash young man…"

"You know, in his heart, he really hasn't changed all that much in the last three years," Jenna commented. "Still just as stubborn as ever." He must get it from their father, she reasoned, because neither she nor their mother was ever that irrational.

"Well, I suppose that we should be off," Kraden said. Jenna made no move. Watching her brother disappear into the Lighthouse like that, she suddenly had a bad feeling inside of her. What if he was hurt? What if Saturos got angry with him? What if Isaac found him? What if… so many questions of concern.

_I'm just being paranoid,_ she reasoned, trying to reassure herself. Sure, that was it, he would probably be fine. Still, that feeling…

"Hmm… this is a remarkable contraption," Kraden mused to her side, looking at the switch on the wall. "According to these instructions, this device detects the presence of life forms in the room, and automatically switches the barrier back on when no-one is around."

Jenna looked to the switch in the wall. Next to it, carved into the stone wall, were figures that meant nothing to her that Kraden was peering at. "So you mean, once we leave, we can't come back?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear."

She looked to where she had last seen Felix, the worry in her heart growing. "Are you sure we should leave, then? I mean, Felix… maybe I should have stopped him."

"He wouldn't listen to us, though, and you know it," Kraden replied. He looked at her and, noting the concern on her face asked, "Jenna, what's troubling you?"

She replied, "It's just a bad feeling, I'm sure it's nothing. I just can't help feeling like something terrible is going to happen…" She sensed a burst of Psynergy from behind her, the sound of teleportation.

"How unusual of you to express such concern, Jenna," a smooth voice commented from behind her, nearly making Jenna jump out of her skin. She whirled around to see a familiar, blue haired Water Adept standing there, calmly. "Why, you seem surprised to see me, Jenna," Alex said, noting her expression.

"Alex, you're back!" Kraden exclaimed.

"Were you just listening in on us?" Jenna demanded. One thing that she hated was people who listened in to private conversations, especially when it was a jerk like Alex.

Alex spread his open arms in a gesture of innocence, and asked. "Come now, Miss Jenna, would I do something like that?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you," she growled softly. There was something about Alex that, despite his calm countenance, made her think he was untrustworthy. Woman's intuition, her mother would have called it.

Alex, however, ignored her comment and swept his gaze serenely across the room, he frowned slightly. "Hmm… tell me, where is Felix? He should be here."

"My brother went up after Sheba," she said, a trifle coldly.

"I would have assumed he would be leading you out. You should be gone by now."

"Well, we're not. We were delayed."

"So I see…" This calm attitude was really starting to get under her skin. Didn't the man feel any emotions?

"Alex," she started, recalling his earlier words, "what did you mean when you said that you thought it strange for me to show such concern?"

"Why, Jenna, you haven't exactly been very cooperative with us in the past. Rather argumentative, in fact. I was just pleasantly surprised to hear you expressing concern for the welfare of our quest."

Her temper began to flare up. "Are you saying I don't care about my own brother?" she shouted. "Do you think I'm insensitive, that I'm only concerned about myself, is that it?"

Alex retracted a step, a feigned expression of hurt crossing his features. "No, of course not. I must have misspoken. I offer my apologies, please forgive me."

Jenna growled in frustration. He could be so smooth! "Fine, whatever," she said folding her arms. The Mercury Adept wasn't worth her getting angry over.

"There is no shame in feeling concern for others," he offered. "Noble of you to stay here and help Felix, Jenna, it is unnecessary. Everything will be fine, I assure you. There is no use in waiting here."

"Alex is right, Jenna," Kraden said. "It is too dangerous, if Isaac and the others arrive…" he trailed off and said no more.

"They followed us, didn't they?" Jenna asked Alex. He nodded. "And they're right behind us."

"Indeed."

Jenna contemplated this. She wanted to be with Isaac, and yet… could she abandon Felix and her parents like that? Surely there was another way… but if Isaac really was given this quest by the Wise One, then he wouldn't stop for anything, she knew it. If Felix wouldn't give up, he might even fight Isaac. A turbulent conflict of emotions raged inside her.

"Felix is so stubborn about this quest thing, and freeing Sheba from Lalivero, I think he'd fight Isaac for it." She couldn't help but growl in frustration. "Why are boys such fools?" Isaac was probably just as stubborn as Felix, but if she explained it, then maybe… "Can't we just talk to Isaac?" she pleaded. "I'm sure he'll understand if we just explain it."

"That will no be possible," Alex told her in a voice of ice, all his smoothness suddenly melting away.

"Why not, Alex?" she demanded.

"Quite simply because he is an enemy," he explained in cold patience. "He would prevent us from attaining our goal." His eyes became thoughtful. "Ironic, though, that we both want the same thing, but our methods differ." He looked to the Alchemy Sage. "You want the same thing as I do, do you not, Master Kraden?"

"To see the Golden Age of Weyard restored…" Kraden replied in a soft voice full of awe.

"Indeed." He gave a wide, satisfied smile.

"So you're going in for this, too, are you, Kraden?" Jenna asked.

"Well, to an extent…" the Alchemy Sage replied, somewhat hesitantly.

Jenna turned back to Alex, who had a small smile on his lips. Small, but genuine emotion, more than he normally shared. "Why do you seem so pleased?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why not? The Lighthouse will soon shine brightly again! Surely this is cause for celebration?"

"But why do you want to see Alchemy released?" she probed further. "Why did you join this quest in the first place? You've never really explained."

"So you would like to know, would you?" he asked casually. "Very well, then. As you know, Alchemy was once commonplace throughout this world. With its power, humanity worked wonder across the land."

"The Lost Age of Weyard…" Kraden mused with a note of melancholy.

"I would simply like to see that world restored once more," the Water Adept continued, "and…" he started, but then thought better of it, and closed his mouth.

"And what, Alex?" Jenna prompted.

"We've spoken too long as it is," he answered, shaking his head, blue hair waving. "We should continue this another time. Let us be going."

"I concur," Kraden nodded. "we should be gone before this Lighthouse is lit. To Idejima!"

She had to admit, he had a point. "All right, then," Jenna sighed. "Let's go." Together, the three of them crossed the point where the barrier was and descended the stairs to the Lighthouse exit. Behind them, the energy barrier reactivated.

**XXX**

After what seemed like hours of marching through the ancient underground tunnels of the ruins of Alluvion, Isaac and the others climbed a flight of stairs and finally emerged into what he was sure was Venus Lighthouse. A large room made of smooth purple stone, the floor emblazoned with the ancient symbol of the Venus Clan. From the doorway that they emerged from, he could see only two other entry points – another flight of stairs leading up and a corridor blocked off by a barrier of golden Venus Psynergy.

_They couldn't have gone that way._

"I'm sure I could hear their voices echoing down the corridor," Ivan said. "We can't have missed them by much."

"One of them was definitely Jenna," Garet added. "She sounded angry."

"That was definitely her," Isaac agreed. "I'd know that voice anywhere. And I think I heard Kraden, too."

Mia looked around, and odd look in her sapphire blue eyes. She whispered something to herself. Isaac thought it sounded like "Alex was here."

"What was that Mia?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied at a normal volume. "Let's go."

They climbed up the flight of stairs and emerged in a giant corridor on the next level. Large stone statues, like ancient monoliths and silent sentinels lined that hall on either side. Most appeared to be strong men in heavy armour. He couldn't read the writing carved upon the marble dais' that supported the statues, but he figured that they were meant to be ancient Clan heroes, or other such historical figures of note.

_I'll bet Kraden would have loved this place, _he thought. _No, I have to focus on the mission. I'm coming for you, Jenna._

They raced across the hall without comment, giving only cursory glances to the stone monuments. The next doorway led to a corridor that branched in two, left and right.

"Which way should we go, Isaac?" Garet asked.

After a moments thought, Isaac took a guess and said, "Right." They ran through the labyrinth of corridors and hallways, taking stairways that led up and towards the aerie whenever they could, never having any idea of where exactly they were going. Isaac wished they had someone who knew the ways of the Lighthouse, like they'd had with Mia in Mercury. Well, they'd just have to guess their way, and hope for the best. Oddly enough, no monsters plagued the Lighthouse, for what reason, Isaac couldn't say. Just a stroke of good luck, he guessed.

**XXX**

_Why did I leave it so long?_ Felix mentally cursed himself, as he guessed his way through the purple stone Lighthouse. _Why did I stay back and argue with them for so long?_ Now he was lost. Having no idea which way Saturos had taken Sheba, he had no choice but to guess which way to turn. He'd initially taken all the left turns after that grand hall with the statues, climbing up a flight of stairs when he found one, but he was now going any which way, hoping for the best.

He emerged in a large open wall with a dusty grey stone table in the centre, surrounded by equally dusty chairs of the same grey stone. An old conference table, perhaps. It didn't matter. He had to find Sheba in case she was hurt when the beacon was lit. Or Isaac took her back to Lalivero; she hated that place, a prisoner there as much as in Tolbi.

He crossed the room and entered a long corridor, at the end branching off in three directions. The central choice offered a spiralling purple staircase climbing up, which he took. It was clear he'd made a wrong turn at some point in this labyrinthine tower, as he'd not caught up with them yet, nor received any answer to his calls.

_Just my luck. I hope I find her before its too late._

He entered a cavernous room, large enough to have taken up half the Lighthouse width, and located roughly somewhere in the middle, if his sense of direction was correct. A seemingly bottomless pit separated the room in two, wide walkways either side, one of which he stood upon. There was no way to cross from one side to the other that he could see. At the other end of the walkway that he stood upon, was another staircase going upwards.

He made his way across towards it, stopping halfway next to a giant statue twice his size when he heard voices. Was that… Isaac? And Garet? He saw figures emerge from a staircase at one end of the walkway on the opposite side, and immediately hid himself behind the statue.

It was _them!_

_Please don't see me…_ he prayed silently. He heard the sound of footsteps. Then the footsteps stopped.

"What're you looking at, Isaac?" Garet's voice asked after a moment's silence.

_Great, they've found me!_ A moment more of silence.

"…nothing, Garet, let's keep going," Isaac's voice replied in a distracted manner. There was the sound of footsteps, a young woman's voice echoing down the stairwell, then silence.

Felix breathed a sigh of relief. They were gone. But that had been _too_ close! He could sense that they were a lot more powerful than they'd been at Mercury Lighthouse; if he fought them, he knew he'd have no chance.

_They're ahead of me! I have to hurry!_ He left the cover of the statues, ran as fast as he could towards the stairs and climbed them two steps at a time.

_I have to hurry! Sheba's counting on me!_

**XXX**

Isaac emerged in a room separated in two by a deep pit, with no means of accessing the far side. Upon the opposite walkway stood a tall statue, his name proclaimed in unrecognisable characters upon the base that he stood. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of green next to the statue.

_Was that… Felix?_ he wondered. _No, it couldn't have been._

"What're you looking at, Isaac?" Garet asked him as he scrutinised the statue. Could it have been him?  
_No, of course not. If it was Felix, then where are the others? It was just my imagination._

"…nothing, Garet, let's keep going," he replied, paying more attention to the statue than his friend. Could it have been something, though?

_No, it was just a trick of my eyes, that's all it was._

He followed the others up the flight of stairs at the opposite end of the walkway. As they began climbing, Mia asked, "How much farther do you think we have to go?"

Isaac shrugged. "We're at least halfway, I'm sure. Probably more."

"They could've built this thing a bit smaller," Garet grumbled. "It's like climbing a small mountain!"

"Just keep at it," Isaac told him. "We'll get there."

**XXX**

Somewhere near the peak of Venus Lighthouse, Sheba followed closely behind Saturos and Menardi, keeping meekly silent. The corridor they were in wound about the edge of the tower and the windows to one side offered expansive views of north Gondowan.

This felt very wrong. Something bad was coming, a very big event that would decide Weyard's fate. She had dreamt it. But things weren't as she'd envisioned. Where was Felix? He'd been in it. Maybe it was best that he wasn't. There would be fighting and death. Falling, cold, wet, darkness…

She snapped herself out of it. No need to dwell on what she didn't understand. In the back of her mind, she worried that she might die, but pushed it away. She wouldn't die, of course not. She couldn't. She had seen that she would find the truth of where she came from, play her part in saving Weyard, it was her destiny.

And she was meant to find love with Felix, she was sure of it. She liked him, she liked him a lot. He was ruggedly handsome, and beneath that exterior, he was a kind-hearted, warm, caring individual who would do anything to help her. He had saved her life once, and she was sure he'd do so again without hesitation if he had to.

She had a feeling he might like her too, but she wasn't sure. He was friendly, protective and nice to talk to, but what if he was like that with everyone? She couldn't be sure, she wanted to believe that he liked her in the same way that she liked him, but it would be embarrassing if she was wrong. But if he did… what was she to have done?

She had never had anyone like her in that way back in Lalivero, not the 'Child of the Gods', no. And she'd never found anyone that she'd liked there. She had no idea what to do! Maybe if she'd had more time to get to know Jenna, talk to her about it, she might learn something. Jenna seemed like a nice girl, someone that she'd call a friend if she got to know her; she might know more on that subject. If only…

"Hurry up, girl! Stop dawdling!" Menardi snapped ahead of her, and she hurried to keep up with their rushed pace. A sarcastic remark formed on her lips and she swallowed it before it could escape. No need to anger these two, they were irritated enough as it was. She liked being sarcastic and cheeky when she could – much better that those stupid mature formalities they'd forced upon her in Lalivero – but she was smart enough to know when to be meek and quiet. And these two were often scary enough to make her meek as a mouse even when she didn't want to be.

"Honestly, Saturos, why did you want her along? Why?" Menardi asked, turning to her partner.

"Because we need her," he replied, not turning to look. He seemed very tense and focused.

"What for?"

"I have my reasons."

"What is it with you and being so damn private lately?" she growled in frustration. "You don't seem to trust Felix and now you don't even trust me! Why not, are you becoming paranoid?"

"Of course not!" he snapped. "I'm just worried about Felix, because of how he's been acting around Sheba." Sheba nearly missed a step as her heart skipped a beat. Did that mean what she thought it did?

"Speaking of Felix," Menardi replied, "why didn't you bring him instead, and send Sheba to the ship at Idejima? It would have made a lot more sense! And we could've needed him to get through here, we've been lucky that we haven't."

Saturos gripped the sword hilt at his side very tightly and thought in silence for a moment before replying. "I've made my decision," he replied in a firm tone. "Just learn to accept it."

"No, wait, Saturos," she said, coming to a stop. Sheba halted just in time to avoid crashing into her back. "Stop!" The blue armoured warrior halted and turned to face her, red eye glaring.

"What!"

"You've made a lot of poor decisions and bad mistakes lately!' she admonished, then raised a finger to cut him off when he was about to reply. "No, don't interrupt me. I've kept quiet on it for a while now, but you're beginning to endanger the mission to be honest. I think Alex is getting inside your head and affecting your judgement with that snide attitude of his. Think about it, you chose to fight those kids on Mercury on you own, and nearly got killed for it!"

"That was only because of Mercury beacon," Saturos replied indignantly.

"Nonetheless, you made a mistake, and ruined a perfect opportunity to get both he Mars Star and the Rod of Hesperia. Afterwards, when you were fully healed, why didn't you let us all go back and crush their group while they were still weak? I know they'd increased their strength since Sol Sanctum, but we could have taken them without the light of Mercury. But you chose not to. If they're increasing their strength at the same rate, they just might be a danger to us now."

"Menardi…"

But the blonde haired Mars Adept went on over the top of him. "Then there was that mountain pass. Remember that one? You had Felix and Alex create a landslide there. That could have stopped those kids from ever bringing us the Rod and Star. You're risking the whole damn quest over this stupid insistence of avoiding another confrontation with those kids!"

"I am not!"

"You want to know why I think you're avoiding them!" Menardi was nearly yelling at him now. "I'll tell you why. It's because you're afraid, Saturos! You're afraid of a bunch of kids, just because they beat you once. Before Mercury, you had no idea they were following us with the Star and the Rod, too, as fate would have it. You'd just planned to return to Sol Sanctum later to collect the Star, isn't that right?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "And then, when you saw them on Mercury aerie, you got over confident and took them on alone, getting severely beaten in the process. Since then, you've been too afraid to confront them again; afraid they'd find another way to beat you and wound you're oh so precious pride, right? That's why you've been running away from them."

They were silent for a moment. Sheba shifted awkwardly. She felt like an intruder, spying in on a personal conversation bearing witness to this argument.

"You done?" Saturos asked in a cold, flat tone of voice.

"Quite done," she answered in satisfaction, nodding and folding her arms.

"So, that's what you think, is it?" he asked, sounding hurt. "I'm a fool and a coward, is that it? Is that all I am to you?" He took a menacing step towards her. "Well, who would you prefer to be in charge? Alex? I don't trust him. Felix? I like the kid, but the quest would fall apart in an instant if he was put in control. What do you want me to do?" There was something fearful about the way he made his voice seem to growl like that.

Menardi smiled. It was surprising, Sheba thought, how much nicer she looked when she wasn't frowning or scowling, which she usually was. She took a step towards him, and lightly rested her hands on his armoured shoulders. "Saturos, you know I wouldn't want anyone else in charge," she said in an intimate voice. "But, if those kids do catch up to us here, I want you to promise me you'll stand and fight them with me, all right?"

"All right, I promise," Saturos sighed. "Even if they have become powerful? Even if we have to resort to… doing _it_?"

"Even if we have to do _it_," she answered without hesitation. They both said 'it' as though the word held some deep and terrible significance.

_What do they mean by 'it'?_ She tried to puzzle it out and then almost laughed out loud as a rather… unsavoury image popped into her mind. _Oh, they don't mean that! Don't be stupid!_

"What are you smiling at, girl?" Menardi asked, surprising Sheba out of her thoughts. Saturos looked at her as though surprised to see her. They both seemed to have forgotten that she was following.

Sheba couldn't help herself. "I was just thinking about what you meant when you said you and Saturos would do 'it'."

The look Menardi gave her was nothing short of priceless. Then she spun on her heel, magenta battle dress flaring, and stomped down the corridor, muttering under her breath, "You'd think being raised in nobility would have given her better taste and imagination."

Saturos looked at he stone faced, then shook his head wearily and said, "Come on, you fool girl, let's go. Don't fall behind." He turned and followed after Menardi. Sheba sighed and then followed after the Fire Adept. Well, that little bit of light hearted amusement had briefly taken her mind off of the grim foreboding of things to come.

**XXX**

"Are we nearly there?" Garet asked. "I swear, Mercury wasn't this tall!"

"Actually, I think Mercury and Venus are exactly the same hight," Ivan replied.

"Still too tall," the Fire Adept muttered. They were running along a corridor of the Lighthouse's eastern side. Isaac stuck his head out of one of the windows to have a look. A wave of vertigo hit him as he looked down. The forest at the foot of Venus looked like a green rug from so high up. He looked away and gazed up.

"Only a few more floors to go," he informed the others. "Not too far to go, now." Saturos and Menardi couldn't be too far, either. "Let's hurry." They reached the end of the corridor, entered a stairwell flanked by two stone sentinels, and ascended to the next level.

"Say, Mia," Garet started, "Just out of curiosity, how tall was Mercury Lighthouse anyway?"

"Fifty floors," she replied simply.

"Fifty!"

"Well, fifty-one if you count the aerie."

Garet shook his head in disbelief. "Why'd they make them so tall? I mean, if these Adepts from the Lost Age were so smart and powerful, why'd they put the beacons so high up? They would have been easier to reach if they were lower."

No one was able to give him an answer. Finally, Ivan spoke up and said, "Maybe they just did it because they could?"

"Hmph, maybe."

"If Kraden were here," Isaac said, "I'm sure he'd have some logical, scientific reason based on Alchemy and the Elements and all that."

Garet barked a laugh. "Yeah, he seems to know just about everything, huh?"

"Indeed…" Just a couple more floors, now.

_Don't worry, Kraden, we'll rescue you soon,_ he promised silently. _And you, Jenna._

**XXX**

Felix found himself in a medium sized room, with pictures carved into the stone wall on one side, and strange writing carved on the other. Maybe it was describing the grandness of the Venus Clan, or maybe it was just a kitchen menu, who knew? Felix didn't care; he only had to find Sheba.

He strode to the other side of the room. He remembered Kraden saying something about all four Lighthouses having the same number of floors. Or maybe they were of equal height, he couldn't remember. Either way, he figured he must be near the top now. The beacon hadn't been lit yet, so Saturos obviously wasn't there yet.

He entered the door on the other side of the room and found himself in a long corridor that wound around the edge of the tower, with windows on one side that offered expansive views of the north Gondowan landscape.

_I must be near now._

At the end of the corridor he found a purple stone door that had been left open. On the other side, was the outside of the Lighthouse. He stepped out and found himself upon the lower level of the aerie. He could hear the sound of Saturos and Menardi talking.

_They're here!_

Looking around, he realised he was on the western side of the aerie. Climbing the stone steps, he ascended to the very top of the aerie to where Saturos, Menardi and Sheba were.

**XXX**

The sun hung low on the horizon, a dark orange and red when Isaac exited the Lighthouse and found himself upon the eastern side of the lower aerie. They'd made it! He heard the sound of Saturos and Menardi talking. So they were already there.

_They haven't lit the beacon yet! There's still time!_

Together, the four Adepts climbed the stairs leading towards the aerie, towards the final showdown with Saturos and Menardi.


	27. Showdown Atop Venus

**A/N: **Finally! It's here! The fight you've all been waiting for! You know, this chapter was actually quite challenging to write, in a fun way. Not hard, but fun. I'm surprised by how quickly I finished it. Still, I like it. Anyway, I won't waste anymore of your time, so let's get straight into it!

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

**SHOWDOWN ATOP VENUS**

The afternoon sun was a dark mix of red and orange on the western horizon, the air atop the aerie deadly still, despite its height. As Felix climbed the last stair, he stopped and stood at the edge of the aerie, looking across to the trio who were at the centre, right next to the pit where the Venus Star must be cast.

"Finally, Venus's beacon will be lit," Menardi said with a definite tone of satisfaction. "Two down, two to go."

"Yes." Saturos smiled. "And soon, we will have the Rod needed for Jupiter and the Star needed for Mars." Menardi stood firmly, one hand holding her battle scythe with the blade retracted, the other gripping Sheba's shoulder. Saturos was next to her, one hand resting lightly on the sword hilt hanging at his side, the other reaching for one of the two Mythril bags at his side.

_Sheba's still safe,_ he thought with relief. _And they haven't lit the beacon yet!_

"Wait!" he shouted, and the pair whirled instantly to face him. With a flick of her wrist, Menardi had her scythe blade out, and held ready in battle position. Saturos' fist had half drawn his sword before he'd recognised Felix and sheathed it again.

Sheba's purple eyes filled with joy at seeing him, a smile forming on her small lips. She was beautiful, Felix thought wholeheartedly, and a great person to be with. Felix loved her, and he couldn't now bear the thought of losing her. She had to be taken away from here before the beacon was lit, in case it erupted violently, as Kraden warned it might.

"Oh, it's only you, Felix," Saturos said, sighing as he relaxed his tense muscles. Menardi lowered her scythe, but her red eyes glared at him venomously.

"Yes, it's only me." He spoke to his master levelly now, even though they were far from equals.

"Why are you here?" Menardi demanded, her voice cold and sharp. "We ordered you ahead to the ship at Idejima. You'd better have a good reason for this, Felix."

The Earth Adept fixed Sheba's purple eyes with his own brown ones, and there was fear in them. Not just fear from the current situation with Saturos and Menardi, but also one of the future that she had dreamt would happen, vague though it was.

"What do you need Sheba for?" he demanded.

Menardi narrowed her eyes at him. "You should show us a bit more respect than that."

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Saturos asked. "Sheba is special. She's a Wind Adept."

"I know that!" he growled. "You need an Adept of the respective Element to enter each Lighthouse. We had Earth, Water and Fire, but no Wind… until now."

"That's right." Menardi nodded, slowly. "We cannot even enter Jupiter without her."

"If that's all you needed to know," Saturos said, "then you should go now."

"But what do you need her _here_ for!" Felix shouted. He couldn't help it. Why were they being so difficult?

"Because we also need the Rod of Hesperia," Saturos explained patiently. "And the Mars Star, which those kids carry; whom we intend to take care of shortly."

Felix swallowed an involuntary lump in his throat. Isaac… Garet… his childhood friends. They were only doing what they thought was right.

"So, she's just another bargaining chip, is she?" Felix said curtly. "Just like my sister?"

"Felix, you know we had no choice…" Menardi began, but Felix cut her off.

"I know we need her, but you can't just use her like this! At least let her choose, like you did with Alex and me."

"She just wants to go with you," Menardi sneered. "Isn't that right, girl?"

Sheba looked at her fearfully, taking a step back. "No! Not like that! I mean…"

"Be quiet!" Saturos snapped.

"Don't yell at her!" Felix shouted.

"You should know better than to show disrespect to us, Felix," Menardi said in a chill voice.

"So, you don't trust me, is that it?" Felix spat. "Saturos, you promised not to involve anyone outside of the quest! Let her go!"

"How can we trust you when you demand we free Sheba?" Saturos snapped. "Our quest depends on her! We can't risk losing her, if we send her with you! She needs to be with us, where we know she's safe."

"So, that's how it is, then," Felix said in a cold, hard voice. "You can afford to lose me, my sister, Kraden and Alex, but yourselves and Sheba, that's another story, isn't it?"

Menardi lowed at him with a withering glance. "It's now like that at all, Felix and you know it."

"We need to defeat Isaac and his friends, "Saturos said through clenched teeth, struggling to keep his anger in check. "We can't allow them to get in our way, but we need Sheba with us. Do you understand, Felix?"

Felix felt his anger rising deep inside of him. How could they just talk over Sheba's head like this, as though she wasn't even there!

"We do care about you, Felix," Menardi said, some of the edge in her voice ebbing away. "We wouldn't have taken you in and raised you for three years, otherwise. Why do you think we won't let you fight? Because we couldn't afford to lose you."

"Right now, I find that a bit hard to believe," Felix said in a voice full of venom. "I'm taking Sheba with me! I won't risk her getting hurt if the Lighthouse does erupt violently."

"Thank you, Felix…" Sheba whispered gratefully. The two Mars Adepts both ignored her.

"You would do this, even though it means fighting us?" Saturos challenged, gripping his sword hilt and easing the blade in the scabbard.

"You've seen what we're capable off…" Menardi warned, tightening her grip on her scythe. Images of the carnage that they'd unleashed at the foot of the Lighthouse swept through his minds, innocent scholars and hardened soldiers all knocked down like they were nothing. Kraden crying over a fallen friend…

"Yes. And I'm beginning to question your ethics because of it."

Sheba took a step back, trying to get out of the way. Menardi raised her scythe and Saturos half drew his sword. Felix tightened his grip on the hilt at his side. When had he grabbed that? He couldn't remember.

"Hold it right there!' a familiar voice declared off to one side. "It ends here!" Felix turned to see four people standing on the opposite side of the aerie. Isaac, holding his sword ready while he glared at them with hard blue eyes. Garet, hefting a double sided battle axe. The servant from Kalay – Ivan –holding a twisted wooden rod, purple eyes regarding them from beneath a mop of blonde hair. Alex's friend – Mia –holding a golden staff with a crystal orb at them.

_No… not them…_

**XXX**

As soon as they exited the door that led to the lower level of Venus Lighthouse aerie, Isaac halted the party and commanded silence.

"Listen," he whispered. He could hear the sound of voices. Familiar voices. Saturos and Menardi.

"It's them…" Ivan breathed softly.

"And the beacon isn't lit, yet," the Earth Adept informed them. "I can sense it. Let's go." The four of them climbed up the stairs to the top aerie. Just short of the top, he ordered a halt, peering surreptitiously over the ledge to view the situation. Plans ahead, don't make any mistakes. They had to win this time. Weyard depended upon them.

The aerie was wide and flat, just like Mercury, but paved with purple stone instead of blue. Along the north end were lined four statues of women with laurels in their hair, holding out boughs to the as yet non-existent beacon as though in an offering. In the centre of the floor lay the pit that the star had to be tossed into to light the beacon. Two figures, one in blue cape and armour, the other in a magenta battle dress stood before it.

Saturos and Menardi.

Possibly the two most powerful Adepts in Weyard. And yet… each member of Isaac's party was near equal to them in Psynergetic strength, Isaac could sense. They really had increased their strength! But would it be enough?

_It will have to be…_

Between the two powerful warriors stood a small girl, about fourteen or so years old, in a pale white Laliveran robe, similar in style to Ivan's, with blonde hair cut off below the ears and purple eyes. She sure did look a lot like Ivan… that must be Sheba of Lalivero that Faran had asked them to rescue, their 'Child of the Gods' who was really a Jupiter Adept.

_We need to rescue her… along with Jenna and Kraden. _Speaking of which, where were the Fire Adept and Alchemy Sage? Or their cohorts Felix and Alex for that matter?

_It doesn't matter… we _have_ to take care of these two and rescue Sheba… we'll search for the others later._ He gulped nervously. If they were alive for a later. Could they really do this?

"What are you waiting for, Isaac?" Garet hissed. "Let's go! Before they light the beacon!"

"I agree," Ivan said. "I can hear them! They're going to do it any second now!"

"All right," the Earth Adept was about to stand up and challenge the two, when he saw someone that made him freeze where he was. Felix!

The traitorous Valean was confronting his two masters, now. What for? He strained his ears to listen… Sheba? What for? Could it be he had grown a conscience? Was he defying his master because he realised that it was the right thing to do?

"What's happening?" Garet, who couldn't see anything, whispered softly.

"Is Alex up there?" Mia asked. Ivan answered them softly while Isaac listened to the conversation. He wanted Sheba free… they didn't seem to trust each other any more…

"They're having some sort of falling out over Sheba," Ivan explained.  
Felix had seen what they were capable off, and was still prepared to challenge them… he was beginning to question their ethics because of it…

_Yes! He's turned against them! Now's our moment! He needs our help!_

"Let's go," he ordered, and the four of them climbed up and stood upon the aerie facing their opponents. "Hold it right there!' he declared loudly, boldly. "It ends here!"

The other four whirled about to face them, shock evident upon their faces. Saturos whipped his sword out of his sheath in a second, holding it steadily before him, a cold fire blazing in his red eyes. Menardi twirled her battle scythe, holding it before her ready, fury blazing in her eyes. Sheba's purple eyes held shock and uncertainty, and Felix… dismay crossed his features as his brown eyes beheld them.

"No…" Then his visage hardened to a stubborn expression. "Go away, Isaac, this doesn't concern you! I don't need your help! You don't understand what you're getting yourself into!" Why was he still opposing them, Isaac wondered. Surely he couldn't still want to side with Saturos?

"It's them!" Menardi hissed.

Saturos regarded them calmly, as though they were nothing more than a minor problem to dealt with shortly. "So you've caught up to us at last. I must say, I'm impressed, though not surprised."

"It ends here!" Garet told them. "We're a lot more powerful than we were at Mercury, as I'm sure you can sense. Give us Sheba and the Stars, and we'll make it easy." He took out his battle axe and gripped it steadily.

"We won't let you hurt anymore people!" Mia said in a frosty voice, holding her Angelic Ankh before her in both hands. Saturos merely snorted derisively, Menardi glowered at them through narrowed eyes, not moving a muscle.

"No, you can't have her!" Felix shouted. "She's made her choice! Her destiny lies with me!"

Destiny? With him?

"We're taking her back to Lalivero, Felix." Ivan responded. "Back to Faran, where she belongs."

"No! You can't decide that for her!" the Earth Adept shouted back. Sheba tore herself away from her captors and joined Felix, hiding behind his back and clinging to his arm with her small hands.

"No, I don't want to be taken back!" she declared. "I want to stay with Felix!" She _wanted_ to stay? With Felix? Why?

Isaac hefted his blade.

"We're not giving you a choice, Saturos," he said in the strongest voice he could muster. "Your dreams of releasing Alchemy are over!"

"I think not," was all Saturos said. He lowered his blade, and stood casually, a cold smile upon his blue lips. "You just don't understand what you're doing, for all your professed self righteousness, for all your belief that the Wise One wills it."

"What are you doing, Saturos?" Menardi demanded harshly, never taking he eyes of Isaac or his companions. A well trained, focused warrior.

"We don't have to solve our differences with violence, you know," the Mars Adept stated. "We can make a deal. You want the Sheba girl, correct?" Isaac nodded, somewhat uncertain. Saturos turned to Sheba. "You remember the Rod of Hesperia we spoke of?"

"…Y-yes…"

"These kinds bear another rod that Alex claims is the same. Find out if it is." She nodded, taking a hesitant step towards them. "Hold it; you can do it from there." Sheba stopped, and a light blue glow of Psynergy enveloped her body, energy reaching out from her towards them…

"She's reading our minds!" Ivan exclaimed. "Quick, think of something else!" Isaac immediately tried to block his minds. It was Ivan's Shaman's Rod they were after, don't think of the rod, don't think of the rod – _he called it the Rod of Hesperia. Why did he call it that? What does it mean?_ – don't think of the rod…

She stopped.

"Well?" Saturos demanded.

Sheba took a nervous breath before speaking. "It… it may be…"

"What do you mean, 'may be'?" Saturos demanded. She screeched slightly, and hid behind Felix once more, clinging to his arm tightly.

"Don't yell at her!" Felix growled at his master.

"He wasn't yelling," Menardi replied tensely. "He just wanted a straight answer."

Sheba spoke up softly. "Their minds are clouded, but… I think it's the one."

_Damnit, she found out! But why does he want to know? What difference does it make? And what's with that name?_

"Thank you," Saturos said, turning back to Isaac. "Here's my proposition: Give us the Rod of Hesperia, and we'll agree not to harm Sheba."

"No, you can't do that!" Felix pleaded.

_Why is he so defensive of her?_ Isaac wondered.

"Quiet, Felix, do as you're told!"

Ivan wore a puzzled expression on his boyish face. "But… I don't have any rod from Hesperia!"

"That stick you're holding in your hands, fool!" Menardi called out. "That one!"

"This? The Shaman's Rod?" He looked down at it, clueless. "But there's nothing special about this! What do you want it for?"

"We have our reasons," Saturos said simply. "Do you accept?"

"Hey, Ivan got that from his master, Lord Hammet!" Garet protested. "He doesn't have to give it to you!"

"It's just a wooden rod," Ivan sighed. "Sheba's life is worth more."

"If we give you this," Isaac started, "then you'll release Sheba, unharmed."

He stood there cool, calm and in control. "I accept those terms."

"You don't have to do this, Ivan," Mia said in a soothing voice.

"No, Hammet would have wanted it," the Wind Adept sighed softly. "He always said that a human life was worth more than any material commodity." He looked up, purple eyes strong and determined. "I'll do it. It's a deal."

"Excellent," Saturos nodded in satisfaction. "Felix, collect the rod for us."

"Why me?" he questioned uncertainly.

"We need to be sure of your loyalty," Menardi said in a voice of dangerous softness. "To us. To the quest."

_Don't do it, Felix,_ Isaac prayed. _Go against them, don't obey them._

Felix nodded. "I understand. For the quest." He pried Sheba of his arm. "I won't be long Sheba." He strode towards Isaac, his face stoic.

"You do it, Isaac," Ivan said, handing the Shaman's Rod – or the Rod of Hesperia – to the Earth Adept. "I find it hard to part with something that was precious to Master Hammet." Isaac took the offered rod.

"It's for the greater good," he assured the short Wind Adept. Felix stopped just out of arm's reach from Isaac. His expression was unreadable.

"The rod." Flat, emotionless. Isaac held it out and Felix took it. Isaac didn't let go.

"What happened to you, Felix?" he asked his childhood friend. "You used to be such a good, righteous person. What happened?"

"I still am, you just can't see it. Nothing's changed. I've been through a lot, and seen the truth. A truth that you could never accept." He jerked the rod from his hand. "Please, Isaac… just stay out of this."

"You know I can't, Felix." His brown eyes locked onto Isaac's, and there was pleading in them.

"You don't know what I have sacrificed – am sacrificing – for my quest. But it's for the best… for her and me. I'll find another Jupiter Adept for the role. "There was compassion in his eyes. "Look after Sheba for me. Please." Why did he feel so strongly for her? Could it be… was Felix actually in _love_ with Sheba? Isaac was too taken aback to actually say anything.

Felix turned on his heel and returned to Saturos, proffering the rod. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Hold on to it. Keep it safe." Saturos ordered, before pressing something – Isaac couldn't see what – into his hand, then whispering a few hushed words. "Go now," he said, loudly again. "I'm counting on you… trusting you, Felix… friend." And then he gave a warm smile which Felix returned. Trust! Friend! What was going on here?

"Come on, Sheba!" Mia said sweetly, beckoning in welcome. "You can come with us now." The small Wind Adept stepped forward, but Felix placed a hand on her arm, halting her.

"Felix?" she asked uncertainly, but with hope in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"We're going now, Sheba," he told her warmly.

"Hey, wait a minute…!" Garet growled, taking a step forward, hefting his axe. "We had a deal!" Saturos and Menardi stood in their way in battle stances, weapons held ready before them, like indomitable barriers. Isaac felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. No… how could he have been so foolish to fall for such an obvious trick!

"We said we'd release her," Saturos started, "and not harm her. We complied. We released her to Felix."

"You dirty lowlife!" Garet snapped.

"That's a really cheap trick to play on innocent people!" Mia scolded. "And for your own selfish ambitions!"

"I didn't give Hammet's rod for nothing!" Ivan declared in a hurt voice, drawing his Elven Rapier.

"We can't help it if you misunderstood Saturos' terms," Menardi shrugged lightly, giving her scythe a practice twirl.

"And now we need the Mars Star," Saturos said. "Felix, take Sheba and go. NOW! That's an order!"

"Yes, Saturos." He grabbed Sheba by the hand and led her away, disappearing out of sight down the stairs on the opposite side of the aerie.

"Wait, Felix!" Isaac called out. "Sheba!" But it was too late. They were gone.

"It's the end of the road for you!" Saturos growled, and there wan an eager smile on his face, a fierce desire for the thrill of battle. "Let's see what you've got!"

"Prepare to experience first hand the horror of a master Fire Adept!" Menardi shouted.

And the battle began.

The two of them began glowing brightly with powerful levels of Psynergy, huge amounts. And yet, it didn't seem so frightening now, after everything that they'd been through. Compared to how much more powerful they were now.

They raised their free hands, huge fireballs forming and launching themselves at the party. Ivan stretched out his hand and a powerful gust of wind blew at the fireballs, holding them back, Mia raised her Ankh, a fountain of water forming, gushing at the inferno and dousing it out.

"Pair up on them!" Isaac shouted, charging at Saturos with his sword raised, while Garet charged Menardi with his axe held ready for a powerful downward stroke. Ivan and Mia darted to the sides to attack at the flanks.

Isaac's blade met Saturos's with a clash of sparks, both full to the brim of Psynergy. "Not this time, kid," Saturos growled, flames burning along his sword blade, lashing out at Isaac and forcing him to step back. He tried to think of a Psynergy attack to use, but Saturos pushed his advantage, driving at Isaac with a flurry of strikes, thrusts and slashes, which took all his skill to just barely deflect. As good as he'd gotten with his chosen weapon; he was clearly not at Saturos's level. And Saturos's movements were not constricted like they were on Mercury.

A downward thrust deflected, a midway slash blocked, a central thrust parried, Saturos steadily pushed Isaac back with sheer sword skill alone. If Isaac could only get a free moment to focus his mind to summon a Psynergy attack…

A bolt of lightning momentarily blinded him and when his eyes cleared, Saturos was on his knees, recovering from Ivan's attack. The short Wind Adept tried striking at his foe with his thin, Elven Rapier, but the powerful sword of Saturos easily turned it, two parries and then Saturos was on the offensive, Ivan only barely able to save himself by scurrying back.

_Now!_

Isaac raised one leather gloved hand, and unleashed a powerful Ragnarok attack that slammed into Saturos's back, exploding in a brilliant shower of white sparks, hurling the Mars Adept away. Isaac approached to find Ivan heavily bleeding from a deep gash in his arm.

"Let me heal that for you," Isaac offered, laying his hand gently on the wound, and casting Cure, warm, healing Venus Psynergy sealing the cut away as though it never was. Behind him, he could hear flames roaring and ice shattering as Garet and Mia duelled with Menardi. When the healing was done, he took a step back. And just in time, too.

A sizzling fireball roared past him, right where he had been a moment ago. If he'd been a second slower… He turned to face Saturos again, who was hurling another fireball. Isaac reacted just in time to fire a Ragnarok from his hand, meeting the fireball halfway in an explosion of flames and sparks.

Just as the light and heat were fading, Saturos's powerfully built form lunged through the smoke, and Isaac raised his blade just in time to deflect what would have otherwise been a killing blow to his head.

Saturos didn't waste any time, attacking in a whirlwind rush that Isaac was only barely able to defend himself against, falling back steadily. Abruptly, Saturos ceased his sword strikes and raised a palm, blasting a fireball right into Isaac's chest, his chest armour the only thing that kept him alive. He flew back, landing on the smooth stone right next to the pit. He'd come very close to falling in.

_He deliberately angled me that way! _He realised. _He was trying to throw me in!_

Sitting up, he saw Ivan begin his own assault on Saturos. Not attacking with his Elven Rapier, as he had before unsuccessfully only moments earlier, but instead held out his hands and summoned bolts of lightning with his Jupiter Psynergy.

White bolts of energy lanced down from the sky, but Saturos didn't remain still. He threw his own Fire Psynergy at each attack, exploding them just out of harm's reach, but only barely.

_He's fast. Very well trained. _Isaac noted. A fireball left Saturos's hand, and Ivan sidestepped it, barely avoiding its blaze. For a moment, his lightning attacks faltered.

A moment was all that Saturos needed.

Rasing a blue scaled hand casting his Psynergy, red flames burst into life about the small Wind Adept. Reacting with impressive speed - Ivan had always been the fastest amongst them – he used his Jupiter Psynergy to surround himself with a powerful whirlwind, snuffing out the flames about him. He may have saved himself from a fiery death, but it also distracted him long enough for Saturos to lunge forward and stab him through the shoulder with his long sword.

"No!" Isaac screamed, racing forwards. Too slow! Why did he have to be so cursed slow! Ivan collapsed to the ground, pain and shock in his purple eyes as he clutched with his free hand at the profusely bleeding wound. Saturos turned to face Isaac, no mercy or pity in his fiery red eyes. But this time he was the one who was too slow.

A blinding white Ragnarok exploded in Saturos's chest from Isaac's hand, hammering into the powerful Mars Adept and hurling him away.

"Ivan, are you okay?" he asked, looking without turning his head to the Wind Adept. That attack had better have hurt Saturos, or…

"I'll be fine," he whispered, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. Isaac felt a warm, no, hot presence approach him, caught a red flash of movement from the corner of his eye, and stepped back only barely in time to avoid Menardi's scythe beheading him. He felt a sharp stinging against his throat where her blade had nipped him. So much as half a second slower, and he would have been…

She made another slash with her scythe for his head, red eyes blazing with fury and Isaac raised his sword to block her blade, halting it in its path. She reversed her blow and the opposite end of her scythe haft connected with the side of his head with a painful crack. Following through with the flow of her strike, she thrust at him with the haft base, smashing against his forehead with much greater force that Isaac would have thought her capable of.

Staggering back from the assault and trying to strengthen himself against the pain in his head, Isaac held his sword ready in a defensive position against the expected follow through attack from Menardi's scythe. He needn't have bothered.

Ice had formed about her feet, courtesy of Mia, holding her to the ground while Garet began his assault on her. A scythe didn't seem like entirely the best weapon to deflect axe strikes, but she wielded her weapon with expert precision, using her blade deftly to parry the heavy axe head, striking him in the belly and forcing him back with the blunt end of her weapon.

While the Fire Adept was recovering from the winding blow, she shattered the ice at her feet with a fireball, freeing herself.

"Hold them off!" Mia shouted, kneeling beside Ivan, working her healing Mercury Psynergy on his wound. Flinging a fireball, Garet distracted Saturos from the Water Adept long enough to lunge at him in an all out assault with his axe. That was all Isaac was able to see before Menardi began assaulting him with incredible speed.

Her scythe moved with blurring speed and deadly skill; it took everything Isaac had to survive the attack and even then he was falling back steadily, desperately. Menardi was much better than Saturos and her skill and precision was more than a match. Isaac had always assumed, after the battle on Mercury lighthouse that Saturos was the best fighter with hand held weapons. He may have been the Psynergetically more powerful of the pair, but Menardi was superior at close combat without a doubt.

She spun her scythe around, long handle tripping out his feet from under him and he fell to the ground on his back heavily. The sharp, curved blade was held up in the air, just about to come down upon his neck.

"Now, you die!"

Her scythe blade descended, to fast for Isaac to react in time. Suddenly, her scythe arm jerked to a halt halfway down, her arm totally covered in a thick casing of ice, shoulder joint rendered immobile.

"What the…?"

Mia appeared next to her, blue orb at the end of her golden staff glowing with power, palm raised towards Menardi, her blue eyes like ice. A hail of sharp icicles formed and flew out of her hand, embedding themselves in the Mars Adept, tearing through her dress, her skin drawing out blood. She took an involuntary step back, scowling in pain.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Isaac was able to focus his Psynergy and raised his hands, releasing a powerful Ragnarok pf pure Venus Psynergy right into her face, throwing her back in a blinding flash of light. On the other side of the aerie, the sounds of fighting and grunts of pain from Saturos informed him that Ivan had rejoined the battle.

Getting up, Isaac stood beside Mia. "With you fighting alongside me, she doesn't stand a chance."

She smiled coldly, but gave no verbal response. A large fireball headed towards them, Mia raised her ankh. As the flames touched the blue orb, she exerted her Psynergy, transforming them to ice, which shattered as it fell to the ground. Menardi eyed them warily, like a predator stalking its prey, stalking them in a position that allowed her to immediately spring into action at a moment's notice.

_She's fast,_ Isaac noted. _And very skilled. Yet… we're holding out against both of them pretty well. When we first met, they were powerful enough to crush us and now… we're equals._ Equals. The thought took his breath away. That they had become so powerful as to compare to the powerful Saturos and Menardi! It was incredible. And yet, after all they'd been through, all the battles they'd fought in… it didn't surprise him. They had improved greatly.

Isaac and Mia watched her carefully. "Don't attack," he advised her. "She's fast enough to dodge any Psynergy attack we throw at her at this distance. Let her make the first move."

"And you want me to counter that when she does?" the Water Adept guessed. They'd fought alongside one another for so long that they now just instinctively knew how each would act in battle.

"Right. And when she's distracted, I'll make an attack." She slowly made her way back to Saturos, the two of them standing side by side as the four Adepts rejoined to face them.

"Right back to where we started," Garet observed with a battle eager smile on his face. Their adversaries were faring badly. Saturos's blue cape had been completely burnt off, his armour dented and scorched. Blood matted his face and arms. His read eyes held concern; he no longer held his sword with confidence. Menardi's magenta battle dress was rent and torn and bloodied, red eyes murderous, full of fury.

But neither showed any sign of fear.

"You must realise that you don't have a chance," Saturos told them. "Just give up."

"Over my dead body!" Garet retorted. "We didn't come all this way just to give up!"

"A pity," Menardi said. "You fight without honour; four on two. A bit unfair, don't you agree?"

"Would you be any fairer," Ivan said, "if the tables were turned, would you fight any fairer?"

"We probably would," she replied and then shouted, "NOW SATUROS!" And Isaac suddenly realised that they were just biding time to build up an attack. Very clever.

"Hit them with all you've got!" Isaac ordered. The Earth Adept raised his hands and put his strength forward in a powerful Ragnarok attack He sensed the others charge their Psynergy likewise. With an overwhelming level of Mars Psynergy, Saturos and Menardi fused two massive fireballs together, forming a huge wall of flames if incredible power, blasting towards them inexorably.

A phantom white blade of light flew true from his hands, straight into the heart of the fireball. An incredibly thick burst of Psynergetically formed water shot from the end of Mia's ankh, dousing the flames with her full Mercuric might. Jupiter's lightning lanced from Ivan's hands, while Garet put forth his full Mars Psynergy to fight fire with fire.

The result was an incredible explosion of bright lights and a cacophony of deafening noise. The force of it blew the four of them off their feet and back a few feet across the lighthouse aerie, landing dangerously close to the edge. An attack like that _must_ have exhausted those two a lot more than them. They could do this, they could win this battle! The four of them, all four elements working together as once, could pound these two into defeat. They were stronger now, with or without their incidental aid of any Lighthouse beacon.

Recovering from the force of their landing, Isaac drew himself up and found that the others were already doing the same, weapons held ready to fight again. And he smiled. They weren't going down so easy this time!

"Let's go!" he cried, leading the party forwards, sword raised in a mock salute as they head into the lingering black smoke that hid the evil pair from view. Two figures emerged from the smoke, glowing light blue with Psynergy, flames engulfing their bodies as sword and scythe went in for the kill.

_They're still not down yet!_

Fire met fire as Garet and Saturos threw attacks at one another, mist sprayed out as Menardi and Mia launched their own assaults. Lightning bolts danced across the aerie, the fiery dup deftly dodging with surprising skill and agility, even after exhausting themselves as much as they had.

_I promised myself I'd take Saturos down, that I'd avenge my father's death!_

He didn't get the chance, however, as Menardi began madly swinging her scythe blade at him; it took everything he could think of to keep himself alive.

_Talk about unrelenting! I can't even get a shot in!_

Somehow, though, he kept her assault at bay. Neither used any Psynergy. In the intensity of the sword and scythe duel, neither was able to concentrate on anything else to focus any sort of Psynergetic attack. Abruptly, a burst of Mia's Psynergetic water slammed into the Fire Adept from the side, hurling her away. The Water Adept rushed at her, and before Menardi had a chance to get up, she froze the liquid into ice, holding her in place.

_We've got her now!_ Leaving Mia to deal with Menardi – a Water Adept like her could easily handle a powerful Fire Adept liked that once she was down, he thought – Isaac turned to deal with Saturos. He was the most Psynergetically powerful of the duo, he would be the hardest to defeat.

Garet and Saturos were duelling intensely with axe and sword, neither holding anything back in an all out assault. Garet made a bad move and stumbled back, just in time to avoid a swing from Saturos's powerful sword. The large Mars Adept was now between Isaac and Saturos. There was no way that he'd be able to use any of his Psynergy on Saturos without risking hitting his friend.

Garet sent out blasts of inferno, like a fiery heatwave at Saturos, tall red flames as large as his body.

Saturos responded with a similar attack, erecting a huge flaring wall of red flames, even bigger and hotter than Garet's own, using more Psynergy than his friend was capable of. Fire clashed with fire, sending off waves of heat that Isaac could feel from where he was, a dark smoke screen clouding about the aerie. Even the purple bricks of the Lighthouse began to soften under the sheer heat of their respective Fire Psynergies.

"Hold on, Garet!" Isaac shouted. "I'm coming to help!" If his friend had heard, he gave no indication of it, so intently focused was he on putting forth his full fiery strength. Saturos's larger, hotter flames began pushing back Garet's attack. It was purely and simply a match of Psynergy, whoever was the most powerful would win.

The Earth Adept was about to join the fight – one good Gaia blast at Saturos's feet should do the job nicely – when he felt the cold, sharp edge o steel press at his throat and a slim hand tightly grip his sword arm, holding the blade against his body so he couldn't use it. "You shouldn't have turned your back on an enemy!" Menardi hissed in his ear.

_How did she get away from Mia_? He thought, panicked. _Damnit, she's got me!_ Mia was at their side almost immediately, holding out her angelic ankh blue crystal orb first at Menardi's head. A deep, red cut bled heavily down one smooth cheek.

"Let him go!" she ordered in an icy voice.

"Make a wrong move, Water Adept, and the boy dies!" Menardi replied. The scythe blade pressed tighter against his throat. He couldn't make any move. How was he going to get out of this?

"If you so much as scratch him, I'll freeze you to your soul," Mia threatened in an uncharacteristically chill voice. Sol help him, what could he do? Across the aerie, he saw Garet beginning to give under Saturos's fiery inferno, sweat coating his tensed, muscled body. It seemed it was taking everything he had just to keep the attack at bay. The tables had turned on him; they had turned on them all!

_How could this happen?_ They had been doing so well! They'd been competing as equals with Saturos and Menardi! Now they were faltering, losing. They couldn't let the evil pair win! _No, not like this!_ They had to find a way to turn this around. Somehow, they _had_ to win! _Where's Ivan got to?_ he wondered.

As if thinking of the small Wind Adept had been a summons, he appeared suddenly from behind Saturos, unnoticed by the Mars Adept. His servant's robes were slightly singed and bloodied, but otherwise he appeared unharmed in any serious way.

With incredible speed and agility, he darted at Saturos's side, his small Elven Rapier held up high. _He can be pretty fast, he can,_ Isaac thought and smiled. All their hopes of winning this battle depended on Ivan, now. He was held hostage by Menardi. Mia couldn't make any move for fear of risking his like. Garet was stuck holding off Saturos's fiery onslaught with his Psynergy, if he relented for even a second, he'd be burnt to a crisp instantly.

_Come on, Ivan!_ Saturos turned his head towards the charging Jupiter Adept, he'd noticed him. Using his free arm to continue to barrage of inferno against Garet, he raised his sword arm up to strike down Ivan. _If he hits him, it's all over!_

Fortunately, Saturos was just too slow and Ivan too fast. Moving with wind-like speed and pinpoint precision, the Elven Rapier pierced Saturos's body from the side, just below his chest armour, passing through to the hilt. _Yes, Ivan! That attack must've pierced some sort of vital organ!_

Abruptly, the avalanche of fire vanished, and Garet let his won wall of defensive fire dissipate, falling to his knees in exhaustion, sweating and breathing heavily. A look of pained shock crossed Saturos's face, and his sword fell to the floor with a metallic ring of steel on stone.

"Damn… kid… faster… than he looks…." He spoke in short, drawn breaths, thick rivulets of blood running out of his mouth and down his chin. Ivan withdrew his now blood soaked blade from Saturos, who collapsed to the ground in defeat, Psynergy exhausted against Garet ad mortally wounded by Ivan.

_We did it! _ He couldn't help but smile in triumph. He didn't care if he wasn't the one to best Saturos, as long as one of them beat him!

"No… Saturos…" he heard Menardi gasp behind him, sounding like a piece of her soul was being ripped away. Or… a soulmate? "How… how could he…?" And then he suddenly remembered what position he was in, with Menardi's scythe blade at his throat.

_Oh, no! This is it! She's going to kill me out of desperation!_ Instead, and much to his surprise, the cold steel left his throat, her hand released his sword arm. _What the…?_ He turned to look at the Mars Adept who had held him captive. She stepped back, crimson eyes glued to Saturos, hands hanging limply at her sides, mouth working soundlessly. A small tear ran down her pale cheek. _That's odd. Now how I expected her to react._

Abruptly, her face hardened, hate-filled rage filling her eyes. "Murderers!" she screamed. "You'll pay for that!" Mia began charging her Psynergy for an attack. Menardi went for her first. Faster than Isaac could react, her scythe handle was flung out, catching Mia forcefully in the belly, winding her. The blue haired Water Adept gasped painfully from the blow, sinking to her knees.

Isaac didn't even hesitate. He pulled his sword arm back, and thrust the blade forward with both hands into Menardi's stomach, just below the ribcage in her second of vulnerability with her scythe held at Mia.

Coughing up blood, she looked down at the sword passing through her body as thought surprised to see it there. Blood ran thickly from her mouth, and tears from her eyes as Isaac pulled out his sword blade. Her expression held pain, shock… and regret. "No… not like this…" Then she fell to the purple stone floor of the aerie, defeated.

"We… we did it!' Isaac sighed, a smile forming on his lips. "We beat them! We've done what the Wise One ordered us to! We've saved the world!" Now, all they had to do was collect the Jupiter and Venus Elemental Stars and Ivan's Shaman's Rod – or Rod of Hesperia as they called it for some reason – and they were done. They could return the items back to where they belonged and then they could all go home. _It's over! It's finally over!_

The four Adepts congregated together once more on the east side of the aerie, leaving the defeated Saturos and Menardi lying in the centre in pools of their own blood. Garet was soaked in sweat, very nearly exhausted of his Psynergy, but still standing and smiling broadly in triumph.

"Hey, we did it, Isaac," he managed, somewhat weakly. "Told you we would, eventually. Never had a moment's doubt, huh?"

Ivan stumbled to join them, looking slightly worn and tired, his Psynergy heavily used up, but nothing serious. He looked at his bloodied Elven Rapier with purple eyes regretfully. "I've… killed, with this," he said softly "But it was to save the world, I guess. Still, I won't need it anymore, I suppose. I don't really like carrying weapons; I don't want to be a warrior. I'll just keep it as a memento of our quest together. I hope Master Hammet's rod is okay…"

Mia healed the wound on her cheek with her dwindling supply of Psynergy. "Its okay, Ivan, we'll get that in a moment. For now, let's just rest a moment." Her sapphire blue eyes became distant, thoughtful. "Wow, all we have to do is find Alex, now."

"Yes, and Felix," Isaac agreed and then stopped. Felix! The only loose end to tie up for them, bringing the Valean traitor to justice. He had the Rod and Sheba, the only things they needed to collect, for Ivan and Faran. But, he had-

Suddenly, Isaac sensed the presence of another Adept – no, two! – on the opposite side of the aerie from them. Isaac turned his head to see Felix standing there with Sheba at his side. He looked gob smacked, brown eyes wide with shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"You… you beat them…" he looked to Saturos and Menardi in turn, both lying in pools of their own blood. "It's impossible! No one can beat them! They were the most powerful Adepts in all of Weyard, they-!" He cut off, unable to continue. Sheba laid a comforting hand on his arm and Felix regained his composure. "Clearly, you four are something different. You've changed, Isaac. You're a lot more powerful than when I last knew you. And a great warrior, if you beat Saturos and Menardi."

"No, Felix, not I," he corrected. "Us. It was a group effort, and when all four elements work together, they become a lot more powerful."

Felix nodded and then looked to his dying master, sorrow in his eyes. "I see… but…" he shook his head, fighting back tears. "You don't understand what you've just done, Isaac. You could never understand."

"We understand well enough," Garet replied firmly, folding broad, sweaty arms wearily across his chest. "We defeated two evil villains, and saved the world. The Wise One would be proud."

"The Wise One?" Felix spat contemptuously. "Saved the world? Garet, you lug head, you have no idea."

The Fire Adept was about to retort when Isaac raised a hand to silence him. "Don't bother. We don't need an argument like this right now," he told him.

Mia stepped forward, no longer clutching her chest in pain and breathing easier. "Come one, Sheba," she offered warmly. "You can come back with us now; we'll return you to Faran."

The Jupiter Adept made no move to approach. Instead, she clung tighter to the Earth Adept's arm and stood her ground. She shook her head, blonde hair swaying and said, "No, I'm staying with Felix, it's my destiny. And I don't want to go back to Lalivero."

"But it's not like that, Sheba!" Ivan pleaded. "We're trying to help." His purple eyes shifted to regard the Earth Adept. "What about you, Felix? Saturos and Menardi are defeated! You don't have to do this anymore!"

"It's not too late to redeem yourself, Felix" Isaac called out. "You may have betrayed your people and Vale, but it doesn't have to end with you the same way it did form them." He gestured to the bodies between them. "I don't know why you chose to help them the way you did, but… you don't have to keep doing what they tell you, Felix. You're free now." Surely, that was the only reason that he was doing what he did, because he was forced to? Because he felt indebted to those who had saved his life, whatever their motives. Surely that was it?

Felix looked at him stony faced, expressionless face betraying not a flicker of what he felt. Abruptly, he sighed and said, "Somehow, I knew you'd say something like that, Isaac. It's the way you are, I suppose. Brave, noble, righteous… and yet foolish in your ignorance." He turned away from them, gazing north to where the partially built Babi Lighthouse could be seen on the horizon. It was a dark orange colour in the last few moments of day, before the final rays of sunlight descended the western horizon. "But, I can't do that, you must understand, Isaac. I still have to ignite the Lighthouse beacons, no matter what. You'd never believe me if I explained why."

"What? That's crazy!" Garet exclaimed. "Even after all that? Even after we beat them? They're gone, Felix! Saturos and Menardi are gone! You don't have to do what they tell you anymore! You _know_ Alchemy is too dangerous to unleash on the world!"

"And yet, too dangerous not too…" Isaac thought he heard Felix mutter. Aloud, he said, "That doesn't matter anymore, Garet, it's still my choice. I have to do it, and I'm going to do it, no matter what." His expression hardened, he gazed at them challengingly. "I _will_ light the beacons and unleash Alchemy once more. And I'll fight you if I have to do it."

The Earth Adept seized the hilt of his sheathed sword in once fist, and drew it partway from its scabbard. Isaac's breath caught, and he found himself lost for words. Deep down inside, he had been hoping that Felix, his former best friend before 'The Storm' would be able to come back. That there was a reason he'd been forced against them. Clearly, he was wrong. But that meant…

…then that meant the Felix was an _enemy_. And would have to be treated as such. Isaac tightened his grip on the sword he still held in his leather gloved hands. "Please don't say that, Felix," he said. He was inwardly surprised by how level his voice sounded. "The Wise One himself ordered us to do this. If you make me choose between fighting you and letting the world destroy itself with Alchemy…" he tightened his resolve, and focused himself. "… I'll do what I have to do. We'll defeat you like the other two if we have to."

"You think… that we're beaten?" a weak, yet determined voice spoke up. From where he lay on the stone floor of the aerie, Saturos forced himself up slightly and began crawling towards them. He rose to his feet briefly and then collapsed to his knees, unable to carry on.

_I've got to hand it to him for endurance. I'm surprised he can even still do that much!_

"We've… still got… a bit more… left in us," Menardi struggled up onto one knee, forced herself forwards a couple of steps, then fell back down to her hands and knees.

"They're still alive!" Ivan exclaimed. "They should be dead by now!"

"They're pushing themselves beyond their own survivable limits," Mia stated. Isaac noticed Felix was smiling in relief.

"Give it up," Garet said to them, "you can barely stand! You're dying on us as we speak! Just accept that you've lost!" Abruptly, Ivan was glowing with Psynergy, and a strong gust of wind carried away the bloody sword and scythe that had been lying down near them. The weapons slid along the stone and over the ledge of the aerie, falling down off Venus Lighthouse. The wind stopped, and Ivan let go of his Psynergy. "You're completely drained of Psynergy! What are you going to fight us with? Your bare hands?"

"If you think… we're beaten…" Menardi said, breathing heavily and coughing up blood. "… you've got…another thing… coming…" Despite the fact she was clearly clinging onto the last of her life, her pale lips pulled back in a weak smile, seeming somehow eager and undefeated. Was she mad?

"Come on!" Garet scoffed. "We already beat you once! We'll beat you as many times as we have to!"

Saturos was kneeling down on one knee, one hand on the floor to support himself, the other reaching behind his back for something. "We'll be… fine… right after… we do… THIS!" He finished with a shout, hand whipping out from behind his back, and hurling something through the air. It flew in a lazy arc towards the centre of the aerie. Isaac aught a glint of golden light off a glass orb and realised with a gasp what it was. The Venus Star!

He reached with the Catch Beads to retrieve it, but he was too slow. The Elemental Star disappeared into the deep, dark pit in the middle of the aerie, falling deep down into the recesses of the Lighthouse.

_Oh, no! They've lit Venus Beacon!_

**A/N:** Phew, and that's that! Wow, and that's only one half of the battle! I'm surprised I got an entire chapter out of it, I didn't realise when I started that this fight would be a two parter in terms of chapters. Oh well. Anyway, I suppose I'd better get started on the next one, eh?

BTW, anyone mind if I don't update for a few months? (Gets pelted with rotten fruit and cinderblock bricks) ow, ow, I was kidding, I was kidding! Next chap will be up ASAP. Until then, adios!


	28. Fusion Dragon

**A/N: **Okay, it's done. Hope it wasn't too long a wait for y'all. Anyway, I won't waste your time; let's get into it, shall we?

**Disclaimer:** This document is a work of fiction.

Therefore, all events included within are true.

And by true, I mean false.

They're lies.

All lies.

But they're the good kind of lies.

And in the end, isn't _that _the real truth?

The answer… is no.

**CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN**

**FUSION DRAGON**

Venus beacon had been lit. The power of the Venus Elemental Star released and focused by the Earth Psynergy of Venus Lighthouse radiated out. The second of the four seals of on Alchemy was broken.

"No…" Isaac breathed. Even after the four of them had beaten the odds to defeat Saturos and Menardi, they _still_ failed to prevent the lighting of the beacon! And he could have stopped it, too, if only he been just a little bit faster. _Why did I have to be so cursed slow!_

For a long moment, nothing happened as the star fell down the pit. Then, Isaac felt it, a great welling up of earthen power, solid and strong, like the spirit of a mighty mountain rising up out from the ground. The shadows inside the pit began to lighten, and then turn a light green as a solid shaft of pure Venus Psynergetic light shot up out of it and up, rising into the new twilight sky, covering the aerie in a green aura. Isaac could feel the enormity of that power, it would overwhelm even the most powerful Earth Adept, destroy them at a touch. And it was just the beginning. Deep down, inside the Lighthouse, Isaac could feel energy being drawn from the land below to charge up and form the beacon, a recharge to his Psynergy, his stamina and physical body. He felt the level of his Psynergy slowly replenish, his aches and fatigues slowly fade away. Now, he felt, he had some idea of how Mia must've felt atop Mercury Lighthouse. Both the enormous power and the inner despair at seeing it lit. No wonder people had once fought wars over control of Alchemy, so much power right at his fingertips there, and to think, this was just a part of a whole, a quarter, but one of the four Elements power source. Just imagine if someone _were_ to actually control Alchemy, seize the Stone of Sages, and wield the power of the Golden Sun…

_To even hold a portion of that power would make one far more powerful than any other fighter…_

He was brought back to reality by seeing Saturos and Menardi stirring slowly, drawing themselves together and standing up once more. They didn't seem all that badly injured anymore, by the way they were moving. In fact, they moved fine, without a struggle. And they held themselves with confidence, as though they weren't even beaten. _Which is exactly what they said…_

To make matters worse, they no longer felt weakened, exhausted. The strength of their Psynergy was slowly returning, their power level slowly increasing. But how could that be? They were beaten! Completely defeated! It couldn't have anything to do with the lighting of the beacon; that was the power of Venus, Saturos and Menardi were both Mars Adepts, wielders of Fire, not Earth.

"They're up again!" Ivan gasped. "Everyone, Saturos and Menardi are up again!"

"But that's impossible!" Mia exclaimed. "No one could possibly stand up after injuries like those, not without serious healing!" How had they managed that? They should be dead!

"Don't you see?" Saturos asked, smiling weakly but gaining strength. "The beacon's power rejuvenates us!"

"That's impossible!" Ivan retorted. "You're both Mars Adepts! How can Venus Psynergy help you?"

Isaac had to agree. The four Elements were all separate, it didn't make sense. They might interact with one another differently, but one would not help another element the same as it would itself; Earth would help Earth, but crumble under Wind, but Fire?

"Don't you foolish kids know anything?" Menardi sneered, standing tall once more. The wound in her chest was gone, now. But how could that be? No one had used any healing Psynergy on them. "Mars and Venus are symbiotic elements, so the light of Venus heals us Fire Adepts, just like you, Earth Adept!"

"No, it can't be!" Isaac denied. The power from the still forming beacon – why was it taking so long? – was flowing into him, easing his hurts and slowly restoring his Psynergy.

"No, they're right, Isaac!" Garet exclaimed. "I can feel it. The power of the beacon is restoring my powers as well! It's true, I can't believe it!"

Isaac looked to Saturos and Menardi in shock, speechless. They were both standing now as though they'd never been injured, bodies glowing light blue with Psynergy. Isaac could sense that most of their power had already been returned.

_Venus Beacon can do that! I'm beginning to wish I'd paid more attention to Kraden's lessons back in Vale…_

So that was it, they'd failed to defeat those two and stop the beacon from being lit. It was so unfair, their previous victory now counted for absolutely nothing, a complete and utter waste.

Garet's face set determinedly and he held out his axe before him steadily, fire in his eyes. "Then we'll just fight you again! And we'll defeat you again! We'll beat you as many times as we have to! This is it; this is the end for you!"

Isaac stepped up beside his friend, sword held ready, unwavering. He felt strong, hard as stone. They could do this; these two weren't so powerful anymore! "The two of you just aren't enough to beat us, face it. All four of us, all four elements, can't be beaten, as powerful as we are now. Just give up."

Ivan and Mia joined them, rapier and ankh in hand, still fairly full of their respective Psynergies.

"Whoever said anything about fighting you as we are now?" Menardi challenged, taking Saturos's bloody hand in her own. Her Psynergy level had now returned to normal, a bit over his or Garet's limits.

"We're going to fight with our full, fiery power unleashed!" Saturos declared in triumph. His Psynergy was full now, also; slightly higher than Menardi's level.

"If it's anything like you last effort," Garet scoffed, "then I don't think we've got anything to worry about."

Felix, however, seemed aghast. "No, Saturos… you don't mean… you're going to…"

"Yes, Felix, we are," Saturos growled. Felix stood there as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. What did that mean? What were they about to do that had him so worried? Sheba's head turned back and forth between Felix and Saturos.

"Felix," she asked, "what's going on? What's he about to do?" Felix opened his mouth as though to explain, but Saturos cut him off.

"Go now, Felix," he ordered. "Remember what I gave you, what I said. It's in your hands now." What did all that mean, Isaac wondered. What did he give him, what did he say, what was in his hands? Saturos and Menardi were still absorbing Psynergy. Their level now was above even their previous limits. How were they getting so much more, now? And unaided? It didn't seem possible.

_And their hands… their Psynergy, it feels as though it's somehow linked now._

"But, Saturos, I…"

"Go, Felix, now!" Saturos shouted. "And take Sheba with you; that's an order! We may not be able to protect her after this." Felix gripped Sheba's hand tightly in his own, but hesitated.

"Go, Felix!" Menardi shouted. "We can't protect Sheba as well, you know!" The sky darkened as the sun vanished black clouds above cast green by the light of the shaft of energy bursting from the top of the Lighthouse. A flash of orangey-gold lightning flashed to one side, a loud peal of thunder rolled over them. _Its part of the beacon lighting process,_ he thought, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. And the shaking continued. _But why is it all happening so slowly? Mercury Lighthouse wasn't like this!_

"But, Menardi…"

"But nothing! GO!" her shouts now sounded vicious. "Or are you reluctant to leave your friends behind? Are you afraid to see poor Isaac and Garet here be killed?"

Felix's face hardened. "No, of course not. My past is dead now."

"But maybe you would be sad to see your childhood friends perish," Saturos suggested in a venom-laced voice. "Your sentimentality gets to you, Felix."

The Earth Adept appeared shocked and hurt. "Is that what you really think of me?" he snarled. "That I would put my own friends and feelings above my duty, is that it?"

"We wouldn't put it past you, Felix," Menardi replied.

"After all," Saturos added. "Just look at what happened with you and Sheba." His eyes seemed teary as he took in those words.

"Fine, then. I'm going. Come on, Sheba." He took the Wind Adept by the hand down the stairs once more, and disappeared for good.

"No, wait!" Isaac called out, but it was too late. They were gone. Now the fiery pair of Saturos and Menardi stood before them, fully healed and full of Psynergy. _It can't be! They're both full of _twice_ as much Psynergy as they could wield before! Both of them! Where on Weyard are they getting all this power from?_

Several blasts of orangey lightning erupted around the aerie, thunder nearly deafening them. The shaft of light emanating from the aerie to the clouds above was thicker now, brighter. And still the beacon was forming, not yet complete. Why was it taking so long?

"It's over for you, now," Saturos growled from deep within his throat.

"Prepare to experience the most powerful technique ever developed by the Fire Clan of the north!" Menardi shouted.

_Fire Clan of the north?_ Isaac wondered. _Is that the old Mars Clan of the Lost Age?_

Their Psynergies were now fully linked, Isaac cold only sense one source of power, one fiery Psynergy level of what felt like one Adept who was four times as strong as both Saturos and Menardi combined, impossible as that seemed.

In unison, they shouted, "FUSION DRAGON!"

They were overflowing with Psynergy, so much so that it almost seemed an unsafe amount. Isaac then noticed that their clasped together hands were melding, they were now _fusing_ together. They stepped towards each other and _into_ one another. Two became one, Saturos and Menardi fused together, and their bodies were enveloped in an overawing white light.

One body, one light, one source of Psynergy. What was this? The size of light expanded, growing and growing until Isaac and the other Adepts were forced to fall back several feet. From that great white, Psynergetic glow, two large feet stepped out, glowing with the same light. Two more glowing legs fell heavily to the floor in front of the previous pair.

A long, thick tail whipped out from behind, the singular massive body as it expanded with sheer power. At the front of the body, two long forms stretched out, a pair of fiery glowing orbs at the end of each. Two long necks, two massive heads, one for Saturos and Menardi each.

The intense light faded and vanished to reveal a twenty-foot tall, two headed beast with green, leathery skin and hard scales. Twin pairs of red eyes regarded them from atop two vicious dragon snouts.

The Fusion Dragon. Who could have imagined that these two possessed such power? For a moment, the four of them were too shocked to react; none made any move to attack.

"What is that thing?" Garet gasped. Two heads reared, jaws widening to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. "Look out everyone, it's about to attack!" he shouted, before running to one side as the other three scattered about randomly. They couldn't attack all four of them if they spread out. As he ran away from the two headed monster, he heard a mighty roar as a wave of heat blasted his back. For a moment, the Earth Adept almost thought he'd been hit, but then, realizing that he hadn't been hit, turned to see bright yellow flames spewing from twin dragon mouths. So intense was the heat from that the very stone beneath them – right where they'd been standing seconds earlier – was melted and warped out of shape.

As the fires subsided, the two heads twisted in different directions, dragon eyes searching out their prey. It looked, and felt Psynergetically as though it had exerted only a minor effort. How were they meant to fight an awesome power like that!

Isaac sheathed his sword across his back. He wouldn't need it, their was no way a simple weapon like that would be effective again this Fusion Dragon, he'd be lucky if he even got close enough to actually use it without being fried to a crisp, never mind how much damage it would actually do to that thick, dragon scaled skin.

Long range Psynergy attacks would be their best option against this enemy, he deduced.

"Attack it from a distance!" he shouted to his companions. The twin heads turned to face him; he'd attracted its attention.

At once the Fusion Dragon was assaulted from all sides by fire, lightning and ice. Purple electricity struck at its back and the dragon heads let out a deafening, double roar of pain. A huge wave of red flames engulfed one half of its massive body and although there was evidently some damage done, for the most part the tongues of flame rolled off harmlessly. Mia's water steamed of the surface of the dragon's opposite flank as it burned into its side, shards of sharp icicles burying deeply into its hide, drawing out thick rivulets of blood.

Isaac raised his hands and released hard stone spires, which launched themselves at hight velocity at his foe, slamming heavily point first into its chest and driving it back a step after his third missile.

_That's it! Hit it with everything we've got, don't stop the assault. Bring it – them – down!_

The Fusion Dragon didn't even wait for the assault to end before counter-attacking. A powerful tail, long and thick, lashed out at Ivan like a whip, hurling the small Wind Adept of his feet, and sending him sprawling on his back several feet away from where he'd been standing. One head turned on its long neck to face Garet, the other to Mia. Their large powerful jaws were wide open hungrily, showing rows of razor sharp teeth. Huge balls of fire formed inside, and were breathed out at the two Adepts wither side of the beast.

Garet summoned the full strength of his Fire Psynergy to hold back the assault just long enough to get out of its path of destruction and hide behind one of the statues that ringed the aerie.

Mia held of her attack for a bit longer with a bit more success. Her Water Psynergy formed a powerful torrent of blue liquid that forced the powerful flames to a standstill. A transparent blue Mercuric dome formed about her body long enough for her to leap out of the way, unharmed, while the attack passed where she had been. The fireballs were much diminished in both size and strength, but were still powerful enough to kill an individual with a single blow.

Isaac wasn't idle while the Fusion Dragon was attacking his friends, however. Focusing the full power of his Venus Psynergy, he stretched out his hand and started to form an immense Gaia attack in the aerie floor beneath the Dragon's feet. The purple bricks began emitting a golden light before giving up their earthly energy and exploding with incredible brute force, dazzling his vision momentarily. When his eyes cleared, a huge gaping hole in the aerie occupied where the dragon had been.

_Did I… is it dead?_

But, of course, it wasn't that easy. A loud roar rumbled up from the new pit and two green lizard-like heads with fiery red eyes popped up on long necks. The rest of its body soon followed as the Fusion Dragon climbed back out. Its underside was deeply wounded and heavily bleeding. Chunks and jagged shards of broken stone had embedded themselves in its underbelly and legs. Twin heads glared at him with primal fury, fiery hatred burning in both sets of eyes. With a loud roar, it charged heavily towards Isaac, breathing fire from sharp toothed, powerful jaws.

_Great, now I've got it angry._ Isaac ran about a stone statue behind him, and hid behind it, hoping it would afford him some small measure of protection from the impending attack. He felt the enormous Psynergy of the beast as it charged up an attack. A fireball powerful enough to shatter the statue and incinerate him. Unless…

_I think I have an idea._ He placed a hand on the statue, focused and melded his Psynergy into it, hardening it and making it more durable. He used his element to make it stronger. The powerful fireball exploded on the statues opposite side, but rather than breaking it apart from the force of the impact, or melting it from the heat, his Psynergy held it together and kept it strong.

_It worked!_ He released his Psynergy on the statue shield. And then the Fusion Dragon's two heads appeared on either side of him from around the statue, snarling aggressively. Either one of those heads was a large as his body. _No time to attack them both. If I go for one, the other will get me from behind!_

A loud peal of thunder rolled over him, and the two heads withdrew, screeching in agony. Ivan had hit it. Isaac came out from behind the statue to face his opponent once more. Mia ran up to join him at his side.

"It's too powerful!" she panted. "We can't face it – them – like this!"

"I know…" Isaac replied regretfully. "But what can we do? Maybe we'll have to separate them somehow…"

White bolts of lightning came down out of nowhere upon the Fusion Dragon, while about the aerie orange bolts of Venus Psynergy crackled from black storm clouds in the night and the Lighthouse trembled mightily from the exertions of forming the beacon. The wind howled about Ivan's lightning attacks as he went on an all out offensive from behind the beast, clutching his ribs in pain and holding his Elven Rapier in the other. He was incredibly powerful, even without his Shaman's Rod to aid him. In fact, it seemed like he no longer needed it anymore to reach his full potential. The two heads turned, readying to breathe fiery death upon this little nuisance.

"Oh no, you don't!" Garet roared as he charged the dragon, battle axe held up high. "If my flames won't hurt you, then maybe my axe will!" He swung the heavy blade deep into one hind leg, and then pulled it out for another swing. The opposite back leg pulled up and kicked him square in the chest, hurling the Fire Adept over Mia and Isaac.

"Take care of Garet, Mia," Isaac ordered. "Then give it everything you've got, don't hold back."

"What are you doing, Isaac?" she asked.

"I have a plan. Hold it off for me!" He left the two of them as he dashed to one side of the Fusion Dragon, unleashing several Ragnarok blasts at its flank in the hopes of distracting it from Ivan, whom it was now focused on. The Venus energy swords exploded against its bulk and it roared in pain, as Ivan's own onslaught continued to do damage.

A mighty gale force wind blew out from Ivan's outstretched palm, strong enough that it even managed to slow down the massive Fusion Dragon, while dozens of bolts of lightning lashed at its green scaly hide, slowly tearing it apart and preventing it from attacking in return.

But this onslaught was taking its toll on the small Wind Adept. Isaac could feel his Psynergy level dropping, he was exhausted. He couldn't keep up the assault much longer. Abruptly, the Fusion Dragon regained control of itself, and two massive fireballs of incredible Fire Psynergy were launched at the boy. Ivan waved his hand and bolts of liquid blue plasma burst from his fingertips, igniting the fireballs in a huge explosion while a powerful whirlwind about him kept him safe from the flames.

He sagged to his knees. He didn't have much left. The Dragon heads went in for the kill. He had to hold on for just a while longer.

Isaac reached the tail lying along the broken stone of the aerie. _Come on, this has to work._ Just as the two gaping jaws were about to consume him, Ivan let out one last devastating attack of brilliant white lightning bolts and the twin heads pulled back. Then Ivan collapsed to the ground, completely and utterly spent.

The heads roared loudly into the sky in rage, and the powerful tail whipped from side to side, first away from Isaac, then right into his chest with the full force of a mighty hammer. It pulled him off his feet, but he clung tightly to it desperately, holding on as it whipped back and forth in the air. He couldn't let go now. That blow had winded him, but his chest armour had saved him from any broken ribs.

One of the forepaws of the dragon reached out and grabbed Ivan by the leg, lifted him up high into the air, then hurled him aside like he was a piece of garbage. The Wind Adept slammed into one of the stone statues and then fell to the floor. He didn't move again.

It took all the determination Isaac had to focus his mind enough to cast a medium level Venus healing technique upon himself, repairing his bruised and winded chest. Then, with grim determination, he began climbing slowly up onto its back, using the spiny ridges as hand holds.

_Garet and Mia have to hold it off for me. Ivan seems to have injured it, but only to a small degree, the two of them better do some serious damage. Mia especially._

One head descended to feast upon the unmoving Ivan and Isaac hurled a stone spire at it. Shattering on impact the dragon head was knocked aside, then turned to glare at him. Right then, one of Garet's fireballs sizzled past it to slam into the other head in a fiery impact. A moment later, and Mia's ice prisms slammed against its body.

Garet and Mia both launched even more powerful attacks, but huge heatwaves of flame bellowed forth from their mouths, exploding Garet's fireball and melting Mia's ice into mist.

_Don't hold back!_ Isaac prayed. _Give it everything that you have, you have to weaken it enough for this to work._

He continued holding tightly onto the dragon tail to avoid being thrown off. With his chest healed again and all his attention focused on scaling the dragon, Isaac was able to get back on top. This had to work!

Not wasting any time, Garet charged straight for the dragon, deflecting fiery blasts from the mouths with his Psynergy while Mia gave him cover. But it was clear the two weren't a match for the Fusion Dragon's brute power.

The dragon roared painfully and staggered from side to side; Garet must have been attacking its legs and underbelly with his axe, where it was unable to defend itself. Mia raised her Angelic Ankh, the crystal orb at the end glowing with a blue light, as she began charging a powerful attack.

Isaac could sense the tremendous difference in the Psynergy level between the Water Adept and the Fusion Dragon, and realised that, even with her elemental advantage, she didn't have a chance; she would be crushed.

_She needs for it to be distracted while she attacks, and more than just what Garet is doing; after all, it was more than one head._

Already, one head was lowering down to attack Garet beneath it, while the other charged up yet another fireball against Mia.

_Now!_ Standing up on the Fusion Dragon's back, just past the point where the spine became the tail, Isaac focused his Venus Psynergy into forming, out of thin air, a powerful stone spire, launching it through the air at high velocity. It slammed into the back of the right head with a heavy impact, knocking it forward. It turned to face him with fiery red eyes, mouth full of flames.

Around Mia, blue Mercury Psynergy began to grow as she put forward everything she had into charging up one massive assault. Water formed and ice froze; whatever it was, even the Fusion Dragon would feel it.

Continuing his attack, Isaac unleashed a mighty Ragnarok right into its face, temporarily blinding it as it exploded with a brilliant light. Its shook its large head, trying to clear its vision. From beneath the body a loud roar emanated and the head shot back up, a large axe cut slanting across one side of its face, hot blood spilling out. Garet ran out from underneath the beast, red dragon blood steaming of his axe blade.

_Mia still isn't ready yet._ Focusing his power, Isaac formed another solid stone spire, razor sharp point down and hurled it down into the Fusion Dragon's back, the tip partially embedded in its thick skin. The spire crumbled apart into dust and vanished, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound. The dragon heads roared in unison at the pain they felt, but quickly seemed to recover.

Already, he could feel the Psynergy slowly returning to him inside in a trickle. He imagined it would feel like a river when the beacon was fully lit. But still, the solid beam of golden light shot out from the pit, orange lightning exploded in the black night clouds and the ground beneath the Lighthouse shook violently.

_Why is it taking so long? And why so violently?_ And then, the Fusion Dragon began galloping after Garet. He ran fast and hard, but the dragon caught up to him quickly and easily._ I have to slow it down so Mia can attack._

Reaching down to the aerie stone with his Psynergy while holding onto the scaled back for support, Isaac began casting growth. Thick, powerful green vines with large sharp thorns formed and grew out of the stone. Several vines each lashed tightly around all four legs, tearing into the flesh and holding it down, giving Garet the opportunity needed to escape the hungry jaws.

The dragon stopped and looked down at the Psynergetically formed plants then, with ease of brute strength, tore all four legs free of the bricks that they were bound to. But the thorny vines remained tightly wrapped about its limbs. With a breath of fire, the vines were instantly incinerated.

_And I put so much strength into them! _But the attack had served its purpose; Mia was ready to attack. A massive hail of huge blocks of ice slammed into the Fusion Dragon's body, and freezing around it like a massive glacier, held it firmly in place. All up its legs, right up to its body the Fusion Dragon was frozen solid. Isaac felt the air about him drop in temperature dramatically.

Mia, however, had expended all of her energy. The orb's light faded and vanished, the ankh clattered to the floor beneath her. Then she, too, fell down, exhausted and unconscious. The ice continued growing, freezing up along the monsters back up to its neck, slowly but inexorably imprisoning it in a tomb of ice. Even the powerful dragon muscles were unable to summon up the strength to break the cold, hard ice.

_That's it!_ He thought triumphantly. But, it wasn't. The Fusion Dragon managed to bring up its enormous supply of Mars Psynergy, and began radiating intense heat from its skin, thawing and cracking the ice. Deciding it would be wide to defend himself, Isaac formed a small defensive barrier of golden Venus energy between his boots and the small patch of unfrozen skin that he stood on. As soon as the ice was thin enough, the Fusion Dragon gave a mighty flex of its body, shattering the ice into thousands of tiny shards.

_But that attack weakened it,_ he realised. _The Mercury energy greatly reduced its Mars, I can feel the difference._

Garet ran over to Mia's fallen body, gently picked up her fragile frame and carried her away to behind one of the statues where she'd be relatively safe for the time being. He saw that he'd already done the same for Ivan. _It's only us two now… only us two._

The Fusion Dragon began moving again, albeit slower, heading towards Garet. Without hesitation, Isaac launched another Ragnarok into the previous wound he'd made, then, while the dragon had stopped, cast Gaia with his full strength beneath its feet. While the light from the previous Ragnarok blast was still fading from his eyes, the ground beneath exploded in a powerful blast as the earth gave up its energy.

The Fusion Dragon roared in pain as it tumbled down into the hole in the aerie, Isaac clinging on desperately to avoid being thrown off. _That_ had to have seriously injured it.

But the mighty monster still didn't seem ready to fall down, and began climbing back out of the pit Isaac had made that it had fallen into.

Isaac began thinking in dismay that it was just hopeless, that maybe they really couldn't beat it; maybe it was really just invincible. No matter what they attacked it with, it just didn't die. After all the beasts they'd faced and vanquished, perhaps they'd finally met their match. Already, Ivan and Mia, arguably their best assets element wise against this foe, were down, and he and Garet couldn't keep on going like this, even with the aid of the partially lit beacon.

_No, we can't give up, no matter what! We _will _beat this thing! _The Fusion Dragon was now fully out of the hole, both heads faced towards Garet as though he were no more than a bothersome insect on its back. Garet stood tall and proud, unafraid of the beast that stood before him despite the fact he clearly couldn't beat it on his own. He was outclassed completely.

Despite this, he displayed no fear, throwing his bloodied axe to one side. "Isaac, if you've got a way to stop this thing from up there, you'd better do it quick! I'll do what I can to hold it off for you, and weaken it, but you have to kill it somehow." With that, Garet began to glow light blue as he focused the full might of his Mars Psynergy, and prepared to unleash a powerful attack, as flames blazed about him.

The twin heads reared, jaws agape, as Psynergy fanned the inferno in their mouths to searing temperatures.

_This is it, time for me to make this work._ He ran along the spin to the point just behind where the two necks joined the spine. He'd already figured that their best bet to defeating this Fusion Dragon would be, not to destroy it in toe to toe combat – they evidently couldn't possibly survive that – but to somehow find a way to sever the connection that fused Saturos and Menardi; thereby breaking the dragon and, hopefully, returning the duo back to their human forms.

A risky, difficult plan to execute, with no way of knowing whether or not it would succeed, but the Earth Adept figured it was their best bet. He wasn't sure entirely how to go about it, but he had a rough idea that might work.

Sever the spinal cord that connected the two heads.

_Let's hope for the best._ The two heads shot forward, belching out their full inferno like a small volcano. Garet thrust his hands out, a massive fireball of equal size that consumed all the strength he had and more.

The explosion was blindingly brilliant, the force almost enough to knock him off and the heat felt as though it might scorch his skin. When the burning tempest subsided, he opened his eyes to see Garet, completely exhausted and expended, on his knees before his foe.

_I'm surprised he had the strength to hold that attack off._ The energy of the partially lit beacon must have been enough to give him just the added boost to his power needed to thwart the attack Any less, and the flames likely would have pushed on to kill him.

"I did my best… Isaac…" He collapsed, knocked out. Isaac reached over his right shoulder and drew the sword that he'd carried this entire journey and had served him well. He held it up, point down and drove it into the flesh as hard as he could. He focused his Psynergy into the blade, making the metal hard, sharp and glowing with white light. It pierced the tough green dragon scales as easily as a knife through butter, passing through the thick flesh and driving into the tip of the spinal cord.

The Fusion Dragon roared deafeningly in agony, shaking from side to side. Isaac clung tightly to the sword hilt in a white knuckled tight grip, desperate to stay on. The sword twisted painfully in the Fusion Dragon's spine.

The mighty beast gave a terrible howl and then sank to the ground as its legs gave way, landing with a shuddering thud. It had finally been dealt a mortal blow, now Isaac just had to press the advantage. Reacting to his Psynergy, thick vines with sharp thorns formed from crude stone lashed over the dragon body – around Isaac – and tightly held it down, tearing into the flesh bloodily. Solid stone spires wrenched themselves from the aerie floor, and slammed heavily into its bulk, its neck. He wearily raised a hand and fired first one, then another Ragnarok into the two heads. Attack after attack he drove into the beast with all his strength.

Having finally used his Psynergy to near exhaustion, he relinquished his assault and wrenched his now blood soaked sword out as the vines crumbled to dust about him.

Panting heavily, he sank to his knees on its back, worn from the exhaustion. That _had_ to have brought it to the point of defeat. Now beast could surely take so much punishment, and use so much energy without exhausting itself.

But he was wrong. With great growls of effort, he felt corded back muscles, tighten as its body moved and two heads slowly rose up, turning to face him.

_No… its power just doesn't end! Surely there must be a way to kill it!_ Two mouths full of serrated teeth opened and mighty jets of flame shot out straight for him, powerful enough to incinerate him in an instant. He didn't have time to focus an attack or defence. _No… this is it!_

Panicky, desperate to survive, he felt his Psynergy – instinctive, Involuntary Psynergy, like in Kolima – flow out of him and form a golden protective dome about him. The flames passed over and around him without his even feeling the heat. As soon as the flames subsided, he felt the energy dissipate and the shield vanish. Now he was fully exhausted of Psynergy.

But he could feel it slowly returning to him in a trickle from the beacon. A much thicker, faster trickle. The beacon was getting nearer to full power.

_It saved me… that involuntary Psynergy thing saved me._ But now he was exhausted, with nothing left to give. And the Fusion Dragon still wasn't dead, despite suffering severe injuries.

The heads reared back, the jaws opened wide, fireballs formed inside. This was it… unless… a small amount of Psynergy had already returned to him from the beacon and a wild idea formed in his head.

_I have no idea if this will work or not…_ He jammed the sword into his sheath, raised both hands – one towards each head – put forward his full strength and more and used his Psynergy to fire _two_ ragnaroks simultaneously at each, bright with power. His aim was true, and each exploded with dazzling brilliance – sparks of energy scattered everywhere – right inside their mouths, destroying the fireballs within at the same time.

The intensity of the explosion was such that it wrenched open their jaws and threw the heads back, tearing them apart in the fiery energy blaze. They fell heavily to the floor and did not get up. The whole body sagged and fell down, beaten and exhausted. Isaac felt its Psynergy begin to drain away and fade.

And his Psynergy began flowing into yet faster, stronger, and he again felt the strength needed to continue fighting when he should be utterly spent. He pulled out his sword one last time, and jammed it down as hard as he could into the spinal wound he'd inflicted to the beast. It screamed in agony, and Isaac channelled all the energy that had returned to him from the beacon, and blasted a Ragnarok right into the Fusion Dragon's inner spine.

The explosion was blinding, loud enough to nearly leave his ears ringing, and the force of it threw him off the dragon's back. He landed heavily on the aeries stone floor. Looking up, he saw that the Fusion Dragon was collapsing to the ground, and unable to get up.

For a moment, it seemed to struggle on, hold onto its Psynergy. Then, its energy seemed to split, become two again… one again in a flicker, then broke apart into two separate sources of power. The entire body collapsed, unmoving and the life seemed to drain from the red eyes of the heads. Slowly, it began to break apart down the centre and split apart into two as its skin crumble off and shrank slowly into its original human forms.

_That's it… I beat it!_ _I _killed_ the Fusion Dragon!_ They'd won! Victory! He would have cried for joy and whopped in celebration, but he was too worn out. He struggled to get up, using nothing but his dwindling strength to remain upright and moving.

They'd done it! Weyard was saved; Saturos and Menardi were defeated, their Fusion Dragon form slain. He could scarcely believe it. Just like powerful, mighty warriors of legend, they'd saved the entire world with their powers.

_It's ironic…if it hadn't been for the beacon, I wouldn't have had the strength to defeat it._

There was now only just the matter of retrieving the Jupiter Star – adding it to the Mars Star that he still carried – and the other loose ends, but that could all wait for now.

He had to take care of his friends. This victory belonged to all of them, the four elements working together.

He helped Garet sit up weakly. "You okay there, Garet?"

"Just fine, Isaac," he replied, managing a smile. "I'll be fine… but, we beat them! We actually beat them! And that dragon, too! And they seemed so impossibly powerful when we first started, now look at them! You know what this means? We're the most powerful Adepts in the world, now! No one can beat us!" He sagged. "Gee, it feels good to have it all finally over with, have the weight of the world off my shoulders."

"It sure does, Garet," Isaac whispered in reply, smiling. "It sure does." He helped over Ivan and Mia next using a small amount of the Psynergy that had returned to him to heal them just enough for them to sit up weakly.

"So, it's over," Ivan whispered. "It's finally over. Good work, Isaac." Behind them, the body of the Fusion Dragon continued to crumble and shrink as it reverted back to Saturos and Menardi.

"We saved the world," Mia sighed. "What a wonderful thing to have done."

Isaac and Garet were able to stand up still; so the Fire Adept helped Ivan up with their arms across each other's shoulders, while the Earth Adept did the same to help keep Mia upright.

The body of the Fusion Dragon ceased to exist and Saturos and Menardi were left standing there. Their bodies were pale, bloodied and naked. Disbelief formed on Saturos's expression.

"They beat us… they actually beat us… even after all that…"

A single tear rolled down Menardi's cheek, and she breathed, "I failed… Karst, forgive me…" Their legs gave under them and they fell back, tumbling down into the pit and were gone forever.

_We… we did it!_ Isaac thought in gleeful disbelief. _I can't believe it!_ _Even when they turned into that Fusion Dragon, we did it!_ It almost seemed surreal; it was hard to believe that it was really happening.

"The quest is over," he sighed. "It's finally over." The others smiled and gave relieved smiles, but were too tired to say anything, barely even standing as they were.

"And that means we're heroes!" Garet said finally. "We should call you 'Isaac Dragonslayer'."

Isaac managed a smile at that. Fame and heroics weren't for him, but it did seem a fitting end to everything that they'd been through. Then realization struck. _Only, it's not over yet. Not all of it._

Jenna tugged at his heart, she still needed rescuing. And Kraden. And Faran had made them promise to rescue Sheba. And then there was the Jupiter Star still left to retrieve. _And I thought defeating those two would solve all our problems._

"Uh… Isaac…" Ivan said slowly. "Over there…" He looked to where the Wind Adept pointed and gasped in shock. Felix!

The traitorous Earth Adept stood on the far side of the aerie at the top of the stone stairs, paralysed with surprise and disbelief. Isaac thought that he caught a sight of tears glistening in his eyes. Sheba stood as his side, clinging onto his arm. Her attention was all on him, her expression full of concern and worry.

_Why did he come back?_ Isaac wondered.

"They're… they're gone…" he breathed. "You really killed them!" He scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve. "I know how truly powerful they were. If you were able to defeat them, Isaac, then clearly I am no match for you." He looked to the four of them, to the outside elevator, as if judging whether or not he could run away.

"There's no more use in running, Felix," Garet called out. "You won't make it, and the only other way is through us."

"You can come with us," Isaac suggested. "There's no more quest for you. Let Sheba go free, back to Lalivero and Faran. And Jenna and Kraden, they aren't as part of this anymore." Felix's face hardened with every word. "She's your sister, Felix!" Please don't let her be hurt. "Do you really want to do this to her?"

"Isaac, you fool! You have no idea!" Felix spat.

"Sheba, don't you want to be released?" Mia asked. The Laliveran Wind Adept shook her head.

"I'm going with Felix," she replied.

"But why?" No answer.

"What is it going to be, Felix?" Isaac asked.

"I'm going to keep lighting the Lighthouses," he replied without hesitation.

"What!" they all exclaimed.

"But that's crazy!" Garet protested. "You know what will happen if you release Alchemy! War, power and the end of the world, remember?" Felix simply nodded, expressionless. "And you're still going to do it? But why? Saturos and Menardi are dead, now! You don't have to do what they want anymore! You're free now!"

"Be that as it may," he said slowly, deliberately, "I'm still going to do it. I have to. You could never understand why."  
"Why?" Garet demanded. "Try me, Felix. Why? What'll happen?"

"Just wait and see. Isaac… I need the Mars Star."

The Earth Adept reached and touched the pouch at his side. "You have to be kidding. You _know_ I can't give that up." He paused, trying to work out what to say next. "Felix… you realise that by doing this, it makes you an enemy. And that means I'll have to fight you to stop you." He reached up with his right hand to grasp the sword hilt jutting over his shoulder. "I don't want to… but if I have to, I will…"

The hand that Sheba wasn't holding onto reached for Felix's sword at his side. "I felt you'd say that, Isaac. But still, I will do what I must." He turned; ready to descend the stairs to the elevator.

"You can't do it, Felix," Isaac said, and he stopped. "Think about it. Even if you did get out of here, and somehow lit Jupiter Beacon, what would you do, then? You can't get the Mars Star of us; you can't fully release Alchemy without it."

"I know, Isaac, but when the other two come… but enough of this! I'm going now, so don't try to stop me!" He stalked don't the stairs, Sheba following closely beside.

"Wait, Felix-!" he managed to take one step forward, and then everything happened at once. The energy beam of Venus Psynergy – which had been slowly building up – suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash of light and energy. He felt himself thrown back roughly onto the floor. He heard a loud crack of stone breaking, momentarily drowning out the sound of Garet cursing and Sheba screaming.

His vision cleared and Isaac stood slowly. The other three were down, too dazed to stand. The Lighthouse… Isaac gasped. It had shattered into four equal pieces! One giant crack ran straight north and south, another east and west, intersecting in the centre of the aerie pit. They were on the south eastern quadrant of the tower, which shook mightily as the earth and the four pieces slowly moved apart.

_It's already too far to jump to the next bit._ Felix and Sheba were right across from him, on the south-western quadrant.

Sheba had almost been knocked completely off the aerie by the force of the blast; she clung onto the edge by her fingertips, the only thing preventing her from falling to her death. The trembles of the earthquake only made it harder for her to hang on.

"Sheba!" Felix was just getting up from where he lay. "Sheba!" He scrambled to his feet, and ran to her but was knocked over by another tremor. With desperate ferocity, Sheba clung on.

"It's just as I foresaw, Felix," she said, with sad acceptance in her voice. "Thank you for everything, Felix… and goodbye." One hand lost its grip as the shaking continued.

"Dammit, Sheba, no!" he cried, crawling to his feet and dashing for her again, ignoring the earthquake. "I won't let you go like this!" Sheba lost her grip. She fell. "NOO!" He reached down to grab her… a half second to late. His hand passed by hers mere inches away as she fell to her death. "Sheba!" Tears sprang from his eyes. "NO!" Isaac could scarcely believe what he saw next. Felix leaped off the edge after her, as though intending to catch her on the way down. Or die with her.

_No! We promised Faran we'd save her! I promised myself…_He looked away; he didn't want to watch them die. He felt tears form in his eyes. This wasn't the way it should be! She, at least, deserved better. He felt a mighty lurch in the Lighthouse beneath him. Looking south, he saw that a massive tidal wave had struck against Venus Lighthouse from the ocean in response to the earthquake. _Now, there won't even be any bodies to bury, they'll be washed out to sea…_

The mountain range between Suhulla Gate and the Idejima Peninsula had been rent in half by the force of the earthquake. A huge crack, rapidly filling with seawater, separated the two. He watched in shocked rapture as the entire Idejima Peninsula was rent from the mainland and began _floating_ away on its own. _A floating island…_

Looking north, he found he could see the town of Lalivero and the half built Babi Lighthouse. The huge pillar of stone was buckling and collapsing from the earthquake and a thick cloud of dust rose up as Babi Lighthouse fell apart into ruin. _So much for that project…_

The shaking had stopped, all was still now. It was over. _Really_ over. _But what a bittersweet victory…_

They'd failed to rescue Jenna or Kraden or the Jupiter Start, Sheba and Felix were dead… and Alchemy was halfway released. _We did the best we could. The Wise One and the Elders of Vale will have to be happy with that._

"I can't believe it," Garet said after a while, breaking the silence that had formed. "Felix actually did that!" Isaac grunted in reply, he was momentarily lost for words.

"That was unexpectedly kind of him…" Mia murmured.

"He wasn't like Saturos at all…" Ivan mused.

"What a waste!" Isaac sighed. It wasn't fair, maybe if Felix was so desperate to help her like that, he could've been brought around, made to realise his mistakes…

_But none of that matters at all, now._ Then Isaac felt Venus Beacon. Or perhaps he'd only just started paying enough attention to notice. A huge, glowing ball of pure Earth Psynergy rose up from between the four parts of the Lighthouse glowing with green light.

Isaac was suddenly full of Psynergy, he felt as though he had unlimited power. He stood up and felt strong, as though all the might of the earth were within him. So this was what it felt like to have unlimited power.

He focused all of his power onto himself, healing every single injury, no matter how minor, till he was perfectly and fully healed. Such an effort should have drained him, but it required only half his strength, and that rapidly returned anyway.

He then turned to his friends and healed all three in turn to the utmost of his abilities with his Psynergy which quickly refilled. They stood up, seemingly unharmed now. But still tired, they all felt weary and exhausted after that battle, no matter how well healed they were. And Isaac was the only one with any Psynergy left.

They stood in sombre silence for a time. Night had set in; the green light of the beacon illuminated them. It was Garet who finally broke the silence.

"So… what now?"

"I don't know…" Isaac replied, thinking. "We're all pretty tired, I think. We should go back to Lalivero and rest up. We'll work out what to do after that."

"Which brings up another point…" Ivan started. "How exactly are we getting down?" Isaac looked around and realised that, trapped on this one piece, there was no way down.

"That's a good point…" Mia murmured, worried. As if on cue, the four pieces shook, shifted and slammed together. Venus Psynergy ran along the cracks and they were gone as though they never were. The Lighthouse was perfectly repaired once more, in every way.

"Okay… that was convenient," Garet muttered.

"And now Venus is fully lit," Ivan sighed.

"Alex is still out there…" Mia spoke softly to herself.

"And so are Jenna and Kraden," Isaac added. Jenna. "We can still save them, they're out there somewhere." With a sigh, he smiled. "Come on, guys, let's get out of here."

**A/N:** Phewy, it's done! By golly! Well, there's still one more chap, just a short epilogue. I don't anticipate that this'll take long, its fairly short, and doesn't contain anything complicated to write so I shouldn't have any difficulties. There are a lot of things I'd like to say, but I'll save it for the end when I can have a nice big long rant and talk about things in the afterword. Until then, appreciate all your support, and feel free to leave a review containing your honest reflections regarding this work. Until next time, May The Force Be With You!


	29. Epilogue: A New Quest

**A/N: **This is it. The end. The final installation. It's over… its finally over. I actually did it! YEE HAW! Okay, I'd love to ramble on, but I'll save everything I want to say for the end. For now, I'll let you complete the saga that was begun so long ago, and finally completed only now.

**Disclaimer:** Throughout this fic, I have made a point of not taking this disclaimer seriously. I have deliberately been putting very stupid and occasionally amusing replacements for disclaimers in this spot instead. When I even bothered at all. Seeing as this is the very last update for the fic, then, it seems some how appropriate that I finally take it seriously. For once. It seems to be to me that I should go ahead and actually say the standard disclaimer for Golden Sun properly this one time.

But, as you can see, I am not going to do that.

**EPILOGUE**

**A NEW QUEST**

A day after the lighting of Venus Lighthouse beacon, the Adepts prepared to set out from Lalivero once more. The dawning sun shone brightly upon the town as residents began setting out to begin their daily chores. The new day revealed the damage done by the earthquake.

All around the old sandstone walls were cracked and crumbling. In many places, it had collapsed. Here and there, buildings were breaking apart, but most were made sturdy enough that only a very few had suffered any major damage.

Nobody had suffered anything worse than minor injuries, fortunately, though Isaac saw many people out side on the sandy streets cleaning up the mess and taking out bits of broken possessions from their homes.

_What a mess it all made,_ he thought, watching. _Still, at least its all over now, we don't have to worry about it anymore._

Giving a relieved sigh – it felt so good to have the weight of the quest of his mind – he turned from the window to look at the others. Beside him, on one side of the large dining table, sat Garet, Ivan and Mia. On the opposite side, sat Iodem and Faran. A serving maid collected their empty breakfast dishes.

After the harrowing experience atop Venus Lighthouse, they'd returned straight to Lalivero where Faran had kindly let them stay and rest at his house. They'd kept their eyes open for Jenna and the others, but found no sign. Squads of Tolbi soldiers had been out searching for them, but reported no success.

"It is such a shame that we cold not find your friends, wherever they are," Iodem said, leaning back in his wooden chair. "We've searched everywhere. Everywhere, except, of course, Idejima Peninsula. I can still scarcely believe what happened to that."

"We're just as surprised," Isaac replied, thinking back on the memory of actually seeing it ripped off the mainland and cast off to float at sea. "I can't believe that there was so much energy in the Venus Star that was unleashed like that, changing the very face of the earth. I hear Babi Lighthouse was destroyed, even."

"Indeed," Iodem nodded. "A shame, that, but then it might prove to be for the better. Who knows?"

"I say good riddance," Faran said, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "I never approved much of that thing, and building it on those ancient ruins was asking for trouble from the start."

Iodem raised his hands defensively. "That was Lord Babi's request, not mine. I was just following orders."

"So you've told me. At any rate, I'm more worried about Sheba. She's like the daughter I never had."

"Faran, I know you care about her," Garet started hesitantly, "but, well… we saw her fall, and…"

"I know what you think you saw," Faran smiled. "But there's something different, something special, about the Child of the Gods. She's survived many other situations before. She has powers, being one of these… Adepts, you called them?" Garet nodded. "Adepts. It was nothing short of a miracle that the tidal wave washed up against the Lighthouse as she fell."

Oddly, Isaac couldn't remember the event well enough to be sure of the exact timing. Had it hit _after_ they would have hit the bottom, or did it come just a little bit sooner? Either way, there was no way they could have survived. That wave would have washed them miles out to sea. Even if they were lucky enough to pick the right direction to swim, swimming in heavy clothes and armour…

"Well, I suppose it's theoretically possible…" Isaac conceded. "But realistically..." But realistically, there was no logical way the odds would support such a possibility.

Faran smiled. "Well, I don't believe she's gone just yet… I have a feeling…" He trailed off with a smile and a shrug.

"But enough of that," Iodem said, leaning forward once more. "You said that you intended to go out and search for you best friends?"

"Yes, Jenna and Kraden are still out there, somewhere," Isaac answered.

"And Alex is with them," Mia added. "I'm sure of it."

"We intend to find them," he finished.

"That's good," Iodem replied. "I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours. If I may ask, where do you plan to look?"

"Well, they aren't anywhere here in Gondowan," Ivan answered. "I think it's possible that they may have been at Idejima Peninsula when it was… removed."

"Yes, I seem to recall scouts reporting a ship of some kind mysteriously anchored of the peninsula," Iodem said. "Perhaps they later intended to sail to the next Lighthouse?"

"Possibly," Isaac shrugged. "But we'll never know, now. For now, we're all ready to go, and time is of the essence, so we really must be off."

"I understand," Iodem replied, smiling. The four of them stood up, shouldered their packs, said their farewells, and then left Faran's house. Isaac stood in the street a moment, enjoying the feel of the morning sun on his skin and feeling more relaxed than ever since the entire quest began, what seemed like a very long time ago.

There was no longer any chase, nothing that had to be done. If he wanted, he could go on back home to Vale. He'd like to, certainly. He missed his mother, and likely Garet missed his family, too. And the Elders of Vale would probably want to know how things were turning out. Only, that would have to wait a little bit longer yet.

"Isaac, not to interrupt your day dreaming or anything," Garet started, "but we're supposed to be moving."

"Yes, I know. I was just thinking. About the quest. It's still hard to believe that it's all over."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," the Fire Adept replied, "And yet, none of these people even know. We just saved the world… there should be a speech or something. Maybe a parade or an award ceremony. The Wise One didn't even appear to say congratulations on saving the world or anything."

Isaac laughed. Well, fame and fortune weren't for him, he didn't need any big award ceremony or whatever, he was happy with just having saved the world. "Well, let's get going anyway," he said.

"Where to?" Ivan asked. The Earth Adept was just trying to think of an answer, when he heard a door close behind him, and turned to see Iodem exiting Faran's house.

"Ah, Isaac. I was wondering if I might have a word with you?" he asked. Isaac nodded. "It's about Lemuria."

"The island of the ancients," he murmured. "The only remaining fragment of the peoples of the Lost Age… and I always thought that it was just a myth. What did you want to say about it?"

"You promised Lord Babi that you would search for it on his behalf," Iodem reminded him. "To acquire more Lemurian Draught to prolong his life."

"I remember…" Isaac sighed. "It's just that, even though the quest is over, our friends are still out there, and we need to find them. I know I made a promise, but it's going to be hard enough finding a way to follow after wherever they are without making detours."

"And besides," Garet added. "Lemuria is in the middle of this Sea of Time place; somewhere out in the middle of the ocean. It will be a bit difficult to walk across all those miles of water."

Iodem put a hand in his pocket. "Then I may have a way that will provide the means for both, I pray, without seriously inconveniencing you, I hope." He took a deep breath and continued. "Lord Babi would like to give you, both as a reward and a tool, his own personal Lemurian ship, crafted during the Lost Age."

They all gasped, gob smacked, while he produced a fist-sized black orb from his pocket, which they didn't notice. A Lemurian _ship_? And he was just giving it to them? Such an artefact must be priceless beyond imagination, not to mention far beyond their understanding.

"A Lemurian ship?" Ivan finally said. "And Babi is giving it to us?"

"After all that you have done," Iodem said with a wry smile, "I dare say you've earned it. But you also need it. If you're friends are stuck floating on Idejima in the sea, as I suspect, you will need to sail to find them. And along the way, you can search for Lemuria. Now wouldn't that be a sight to see, a city from the Lost Age?" He went on. "And it is a hardy, able vessel. It si powered by this Psynergy, I understand, so it an move faster than any normal ship, able to brave seas and storms that would sink any other, or so Lord Babi tells it. It will be a valuable asset for you and your party, Isaac."

"I… I don't know what to say," the Earth Adept replied. "Thank you, I guess." The others echoed him. Iodem proffered the black orb he held in his hand.

"Take it, Isaac. This is yours."

"What is it?" he asked, gingerly taking it in his hands.

"Think of it as they key to the ship. It will not operate without it. The two are somehow linked in some way that I do not know, but you use it to power the ship with your Psynergy."

"How would we do that?" he asked.

"Lord Babi did not say. But I am sure that smart young kids such as yourselves would be able to figure it out. Now, I am afraid that I have business to conduct in Lalivero before leaving for Tolbi, so I must wish you best of luck and farewell!"

They said their goodbyes as Iodem explained where to find the ship, shook hands, then he disappeared back into Faran's house. Isaac was about to begin walking up the street, when he noticed Ivan, looking up at the sky, though his purple eyes were lost deep in thought.

"What's up, Ivan?" he asked. "You seem a little distant." Come to think of it, Ivan had been pretty quiet all morning.

"Me? Oh, nothing," the Wind Adept replied. "Well, actually, I was thinking. About Hammet. And how he's still trapped in Lunpa."

"Ivan," Isaac started. "If you want to go back, you can. I won't stop you. And there isn't any quest to follow anymore, so you don't have to stay with us if you don't want to."

"But that's the thing," he answered. "I _do_ want to stay. Do you remember when I first joined up with you just outside Goma Mountain Range?" Isaac nodded. That was just after he'd visited Lunpa in his failed attempt to rescue Hammet, when he'd asked to join the quest. "I joined you because it _felt_ like it was the right thing to do, like it was my destiny, you know? And Master Hama in Lama temple told me how Jupiter Adepts are more sensitive to the future and fate and those sorts of things. My point is that I _still_ feel like my place is here, with you. I want to rescue him, sure, I'm a lot more powerful now that I was then, but… the time isn't right yet. I feel there's still more I have to do with you, first."

"I understand," Isaac replied. "If that's what you want. But I'll promise you this, Ivan. Once we've found Jenna and Kraden, I'll help you rescue your master. Does that sound all right?"

Ivan's positively glowed with appreciation. "Yes. Thank you, Isaac."

"And I'll be right there with you!" Garet added, clapping the smaller boy on the back. "Do you think I'd abandon a friend in need?"

"Me, too," Mia said. "I'll help you, Ivan. It's the least we could do."

"Thank you," the Wind Adept said appreciatively, though it came out barely more than a whisper. He cleared his throat, and continued, at a normal volume this time, "Now, let's get going. The sooner we find your friends, the sooner we can rescue Hammet and can put all this behind us."

Following Iodem's directions, the party walked through the streets of Lalivero until they reached a large, square building, connected directly to the town harbour. An enclosed, indoor dock.

The Tolbi guard at the door gave them a look and opened the door with a curt, "I was told to let you kids in by Iodem." As soon as they were in, he shut it behind them.

Inside, it was completely empty, the narrow walkways around the water dusty. The their left, the huge gate had been raised, letting in sunlight and water, but no boat floated inside in the space allocated for it.

"I don't get it," Garet said. "Iodem said it would be in here, so where is it?"

"Look," said Mia, pointing. "There! Below the water." Sure enough, Isaac saw, a huge wooden vessel was completely submerged on the bottom of the dock.

Garet frowned and muttered, "I could've sworn he said it was sea worthy."

"I don't know…" Mia mused. "I don't think it's sunk… Isaac, hand me the black orb Iodem gave you." He handed it over. "Let's see…" She began channelling Psynergy into the orb, and it seemed to glow dully. Isaac felt it somehow link with the submerged ship, which then began to rise. It broke the surface and began floating normally again.

It was a magnificent vessel, finely carved with a dragon's head at the prow. A beautiful, graceful design; it made the ship they'd sailed across the Karagol on seem like a poorly built raft.

"You see?" she chirped. "Just like a key. You can't get in without it." She threw it back to him. They lowered a boarding ramp, and prepared to set foot for the first time on the Lemurian ship. _Their_ Lemurian ship.

"Captain Isaac, permission to come aboard," Garet said jokingly.

Isaac grinned and replied, "Permission granted." He stepped onto the wooden deck. The wood was smoothly polished and surprisingly already dry.

"If this is our ship, then I suppose Isaac should be Captain, right?" Garet continued. "And we're his crew… I call the position of First Mate, or Second Mate or whatever it is that you call the second-in-command on a boat."

"Never mind crew positions," Ivan stated as he joined them. "Let's just get moving. Besides, don't we need a name for the boat?"

"We can name it later," Mia declared as she climbed aboard. "For now, let's just worry about finding Jenna and the others."

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Garet observed. "We finish one quest, only to begin another! Well, at least this one won't involve the whole fate of the world."

"A new quest?" Ivan repeated. "I suppose it is at that. That's what I'm here for, a new quest."

Isaac stood at the wheel, resting the orb on the pedestal for it; channelling his Psynergy into it. The boat set into motion smoothly. "To sea!"

_It's funny,_ he thought. _Even though we're leaving our old quest – and even our lives and lands – behind us, it still feels incomplete. It's like Garet said, we're beginning a whole new quest._ He smiled at the thought. _A new quest. I'm coming for you, Jenna._

The ship sailed out into the glowing dawn of the new day's golden sun.

**XXX**

Jenna lay sprawled on her back on the grass of the Idejima peninsula. As the island – as it now was – floated along, surrounded by miles of ocean, she gazed up at the clear blue sky as the sun began slowly creeping across. Her first ever view of the fabled ocean and she was too angry and worried to appreciate it. Somehow, she'd imagined being a bit more awe-struck.

_Just lots of water, what's the big deal about it?_ She though. Maybe it was just the fact she was a Fire Adept, but she'd decided she didn't much like it. Or maybe it was the fact it surrounded them on a desert island with no food, water or hope of escape. _Stupid thing to be thinking about._

She was much more worried about her brother. And Sheba. He'd gone back to save her and hadn't returned. _I hope he's safe. Sheba, too._ She'd only known her a short time, and had already come to like the Laliveran girl a lot. _ I miss Isaac, too. I hope he's okay._

She sighed. After all of the excitement of escaping the Lighthouse, then witnessing the peninsula tear off with them on it, this seemed boring. There was nothing to do. Beside her, she heard Kraden sigh softly from where he lay.

"Well, it seems they managed to light the Lighthouse," the Alchemy Sage mused.

"Oh, really!" Jenna snapped. "What, with the shining lights from the aerie, the big earthquake – oh, and let's not forget the whole peninsula ripping off and floating away – I hadn't noticed!"

"Gee, you're irritable today."

"Sorry, Kraden. But you have to admit, it has been a bit… stressful lately."

"Yes, indeed…"

She sighed again. "I hope their okay, Felix, Sheba… even Isaac. I miss him." It was a shame he and her brother had to be enemies, but there was nothing she could do. Kraden sat up and looked around.

"Hmm… I wonder how long this island will continued to drift for? And to where? I wish I'd brought my atlas with me…" The sound of approaching footsteps caused Jenna to sit up and look back over her shoulder. Alex stopped a few feet away, relaxed and expression blank.

"Come. There is something I would show you," he said in a voice of complete calm.

"What?" Jenna asked. The Imilian Water Adept made no reply, simply turned and walked towards the shore of the island. She looked to Kraden, who simply shrugged, and got up to follow. As she approached the beach, she stopped in shock gasped as she laid eyes upon what had washed up on the sand. Who, rather.

_Impossible! It couldn't be!_ A young man in green armour and long brown hair. A young girl in ornate robes and shorter blonde hair. A Venus and Jupiter Adept. Both unconscious.

"Felix!" she cried, tears filling her eyes as she fell to her knees beside her brother.

"Sheba!" Kraden exclaimed as he knelt beside the Laliveran.

_They're alive!_

"Alex, what is the meaning of this?" the Alchemy Sage asked, turning to face the Mercury Adept. "How did they get there? What happened?"

And as Jenna checked Felix, she noticed he had in his possession the Rod of Hesperia and the Jupiter Star.

And so, with four Adepts of the four elements, as the world headed closer to doom, a new quest for the Golden Sun had begun.

**THE END**

_**After word**_

So, that's it. The end of a saga, the end of an era, to use old clichés. And the perfect ending to the game, precisely how it ends, on exactly the same note. I felt it was somehow… appropriate. Now, after all of this is written and finished, and put behind me, I feel the need to write a few words. Hence this, the after word.

As I sit here, typing this, so many thoughts go through my mind of things I want to say, and I wonder just what exactly to put down. I don't want to make this too long, and I'm sure you don't want to read overly long ramble. So I'll try to keep this short and to the point. Still, considering how long this fic actually is in total (218,000 words according to my word document, minus author notes); I'm sure you'll forgive me for wanting to say just a few words. Of course, none of what I'm about to say is actually very important in terms of the fic. If you aren't interested in hearing a young author's nonsense, feel free to skip this. It's nothing important. Don't worry, I won't reveal the meaning of life while you are gone. If you would like to hear what I have to say, then read on in my self-indulgent ramble.

First, a few reflections on what I've learned writing this. It's been great, no doubt about it and a huge learning experience in more ways than I can put down and do any justice for. I'm made friends, critics, associates and, fortunately, no enemies.

When I first started this, I had no idea what I was in for. I assumed writing a novel would be easy (HA!) and not take too long (again, HA!). Ah, the naivety of the newbies. Still, we all must learn and begin somewhere, right? Why did I choose to write a novelisation? Why bother? I suppose I can't completely answer that question satisfactorily. Why does any author choose to write what they do?

When I played the games, I loved them, just in case you couldn't tell. And when I was done, I longed to tell that story to others, only I could never do so with any justice. I wanted to READ those adventures of our favourite Adepts, to tell it to others through novel format. I guess it was my destiny, what I was meant to do, I just felt like I had to do it. I wanted to novelise the game. I can't say why, I just did. But why does not matter, I suppose; it was done, right?

Well, there are some reasons I can give you. First, I was beginning to realise that writing was what I wanted to do. Big, epic, fantasy stories like Golden Sun, Zelda and, eventually, original fantasies were what I wanted, I was beginning to realise. And, of course, I would need practice, a learning curve. A practice novel, if you will. The Golden Sun tale seemed to be the right choice, I felt.

It was originally chosen to test my skills, to experiment in writing a full length novel as I would any other. I approached it as I would with approaching a wholly new concept, trying to convey it in words to readers that had never known anything about this universe, to tell them the story. I feel that I must have done at least an all right job at this, or else you would not have bothered to read this far. I stared out with the intention of doing both games, something I felt would be easy to accomplish. HA!

It was challenging, yes. It was a learning experience, make not mistake. But it was damned fun also, a great adventure of my own. A most satisfying undertaking, oh yes. I don't regret a moment of it. If I did, well, I should give up on this right now and look for a career elsewhere. But I don't.

Oh sure, there are always areas that I always worry weren't as good as they could have been, or I could improve upon. I suppose no author worth their salt ever entirely feels like its _perfect_, that they have to find ALL the little errors, but its all part of the craft, all part of the experience. In the end, though, it was all the best that I could do at the time, all good enough for me, and while some parts I worry over more than others, there's nothing that I really regret writing, oh no sirree.

Still, I shall continue writing, and learning. I think you can see how I have slowly improved and learned as I've gone through, in my opinion the fic has only gotten better as it's gone on. I've been working on this a long time, but I never slacked off. There were times when I felt like it, but I refused to entertain such thoughts for long. Writing takes passion, but it also takes hard work and dedication. Having finally completed this tale to the end, I feel that I've got what it takes to make myself a serious author.

Of course, this isn't all about me, never think it. What about the readers? The reviewers? I thank them all for their input and support many times over. Even those who gave constructive criticisms were appreciated. Hey, at least I got no flamers! You gave me encouragement to go on and continue my passion and desire, and taught how to go about it better, and I can't thank you enough for that. Without the fans, there wouldn't be no show, and if that was really so, then that would really blow. Without satisfactory readership, writing cannot survive. It's a symbiotic relationship, we give, you take, but you also give, and we take. We are grateful for each others input (and sometimes not!) and require one another to continue the most important thing off all: the book, the story!

So to each and every one of you, thank you. Most especially those of you who keep coming back (you all know who you are!) and even to those who only ever reviewed once. **Thank you.**

Okay then, that said, there are going to be questions about the future, of course. What do I write next? Golden Sun: Book Two? Do I continue the tale? Or do I write something else? Many have asked me to go on, which is nice (at least they aren't saying 'give up now while you still can'!) I've often promised to begin work on my Zelda novel, which if partially written, but the more I think about it, the more I might just keep that one on the backburner. Maybe someday I will come back to it, but for now, I'm leaving it.

So, will I go on to write Book Two? The answer… is no. Sorry. But before you say "please?", let me explain myself. It's not that I don't want to. I'd like to, and I may even someday come back to it anyhow. But not now. For now, I'm putting most major fanfiction projects aside (although work is still steadily creeping forward on "End Game" and will continue to do so).

The reasoning is mostly personal. Let me explain. You see, while I love writing (do you get that impression yet?) it does take a lot out of me. It takes a large amount of time in my day to do 'just a little bit more of that next chapter', and it takes a lot of emotional energy on my part, in terms of dedication and commitment. I spent a long while on Book One. Even though the publish date was late 2004, I actually had already written several chapters before hand (I was usually a half a chapter or so ahead of what was published) and as such, my adventure began EARLY 2004, when I first stumbled upon this site.

My first thoughts of this site were "GOLD MINE! I've hit the jackpot in finding great literature!" My second was, "Man, you have to go through a lot of crap on here to find the good stuff!" It's true, there is a lot of rubbishy fics on the site, and we've all seen it.

I read quite a bit of GS fanfics, learning what I could, and feeling a bit like part of the community while I worked on my unpublished novel. Eventually, I completed my schooling, and began publishing what I had written, slowly making a name for myself. I was a newbie, a learner, still trying to find my feet as an author, but I seemed to be good enough for people to keep coming back for more. Time went on; chapters got written… you all know this part of the story.

And finally, all my hard work came to a close; my efforts came to fruition on the second day of August, 2006. I'm not sure of the exact day I began writing, but it was January sometime on 2004. I've been working on this for some two and a half years. If you don't mind my saying so, I reckon that's some pretty good 'stick-to-it-iveness'.

But that's also a lot of effort and energy. Do I want to continue on for another 2 and a half years on the next book? Actually, it would probably be longer, given that the Lost Age was a longer game. I'd like to, I'd love to tell the adventures of Felix and the gang. Even Isaac's side of the story there. But that's a long time. And I want to rest after this novel a bit, recover that energy. And meanwhile, life goes on.

I'd like to work on different projects, put this one behind me for now. I'll still be popping into the fandom, occasionally writing any one-shots that come to mind, (and "End Game" still) but I won't be writing any more long novels for a time. And there's more to the story yet.

You see, I'm twenty years old now. I'm moving on in life. I may be (nothings decided yet) moving out of home soon. I'll be getting a new job soon, trying to support myself in life. Life is in a state of flux for me at the moment. I won't be able to focus too much on writing for while. May not have too much time even.

And at any rate, as much as I love what I've done here, I want to move on and begin work on my own stuff, that stuff that I _really_ want to do, the ideas that have been kicking around for a while and begging to come out, the real good stories. Golden Sun was great, yes, but it's just a warm up to want I shall someday do, at least in my mind. And so, when that time does come, I shall leave the fandom behind with fond memories, but as we must all someday leave our childhoods behind and grow up, so too must I someday leave fanfiction behind me to continue to grow as an aspiring author.

But that day isn't quite here yet, I think. And I'm not leaving just yet, I'll still be around. But life goes on, and people go with it, alas. So there, I'd love to write Book Two, I started out with the intention of doing so, but it's just not on the cards any more. Still, someday… you never know. (wink)

So then, having said that, what's next? Who knows, the future is unknown, and even the most enlightened of seers can never say for sure. But I look forward to it with eager anticipation.

I will say this. I loved living in Weyard for a time. I hope you all did too. I could go on quite a bit about this, but it would be mostly self-indulgent ramble (more so that this already is) and probably not all that interesting to any of you. And this is already getting quite long enough without me making it into a tome of its own, right? I won't recount my every thought, or my entire history here. I'll just say, it's been fun, I thank you all, and I hope for the best in my future. Maybe I'll make it, maybe not. Who knows? I don't do this for the money, and no decent author worth reading does, I think. Success isn't judged by cash earnings, but by how well loved a story is.

So let me just say I bid you all a fond farewell from this leg of the great journey of life, I'll miss hearing your reviews and opinions, I thank you all for your support and I depart towards the golden sunset with hope hopes and aspirations and maybe someday I shall see you all again. Until then, let me just say;

Adios amigos!

_May the Light of the Golden Sun Illumine You All._


End file.
